Resident Evil: A Crossover
by DarkAngelus1
Summary: All my favorite RE characters are drawn into a crossover nightmare with characters from TNT's Witchblade. Chap.8 is up. Please, read & review. I'd really like feedback.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in the work below. If I did. . .nevermind, you don't want to know.**

**Synopsis: Set six months after the Las Plagas incident, our favorite RE characters crossover with a few (hopefully) familiar TV characters. Rated 'T' for bad language and stupid humor. Borders on AU.**

**Resident Evil: A Crossover**

**Chapter One**

**Leon Kennedy let himself into his apartment with a sigh of relief. He **

**locked the door, engaged the security system he'd personally installed, and **

**slumped back against it. His clear blue eyes swept over the large, darkened **

**interior, more out of habit than anything else. Of course, there was nothing **

**hiding in the darkened corners, or in the shadows beyond the large windows, **

**but the importance of being aware of his surroundings was a lesson he had **

**learned the hard way.**

**He reached for the light switch and the room was flooded in soft white **

**light. Wincing at its brightness, he shrugged out of his coat and dropped over **

**the back of the sofa. He ambled into the kitchen and took a beer out of the **

**refrigerator. He went into the living room and took a seat before his **

**computer. He booted it up, twisted the cap off his beer, and settled back to wait.**

**God, it had been a bitch of a day. No zombies or any other assorted undead creatures, no crazed South American villagers controlled by an aggressive parasite. No, it had been much, much worse. **

**He had spent the day at the mall.**

**He laughed quietly, resting his tawny head against the back of the chair. Ashley and four of her closest friends had gone shopping, and he and the other Secret Service agents assigned to protect her had been forced to endure nearly seven hours in D.C.'s largest mall. A day spent listening to the giggling of teenage girls as they spent their fathers' money with a carelessness that would always shock him. Ashley was a good kid. She had a lot of guts and always took his concern over her safety seriously. For all of that, she was still a seventeen-year-old girl with a fondness for ugly clothes and really bad music.**

**Leon took a drink of his beer as he signed into his personal email page. He shifted uncomfortably as the gun he wore in a shoulder-holster dug into his side, but he left it where it was. He wouldn't take it off until he went to bed, and then he slept with it under his pillow. The need to have a weapon close to him was one he'd developed more than six years ago, and he didn't think that anything could break it. He didn't even know if he _wanted_ to break it. When left with a choice, he chose life.**

**He opened an email labeled, "Urgent," groaning as he did so, expecting another boring presidential assignment. The groan was cut off abruptly, his blue eyes widening, as disbelief filled him. Shock numbed his senses for a long moment before being buried under a avalanche of stronger emotions, fear being the most predominant.**

**_"Shit!"_**

**Leon slumped back in the chair, his clear blue gaze locked on the screen before him. Someone had somehow managed to hack past the White House's security system and leave a cryptic email on his computer. He wouldn't have thought it possible, but the proof was there, jumping out at him from the plain white screen.**

**_New York. Vorshlag Industries. Las Plagas. Umbrella. Albert Wesker. Steve Burnside._**

**A screen name accompanied it: Bdragon1. Leon didn't know who this person was, but that wasn't important. What mattered was the implication that Umbrella Inc. was still running their B.O.W experiments, this time using the Las Plagas sample that Ada Wong had stolen from him six months ago. **

**Frowning, he saved the email and used his government clearance to look up Vorshlag Industries. Owned by billionaire Kenneth Irons, former gunrunner turned businessman. A pillar of the community now, Irons donated millions to various charities every year. Rumors of illegal dealings persisted, and he was affiliated with several biotech firms, all of which specialized in genetic research. **

**Personal security: Ian Christian Nottingham. Thirty-six years of age, former Army Ranger. He was highly skilled and very intelligent; his I.Q. was 198. Only surviving member of a privately-funded military organization called the Black Dragons, from '95—'97. More rumors, this time of psychotropic drug therapies and even genetic engineering. Suspected to be behind the deaths of his brothers in arms. Lethal and extremely dangerous, and completely loyal to Kenneth Irons, who had in fact raised him.**

**Leon grunted. Well, at least he knew who Bdragon1 was, now. Looked as though Ian Nottingham might not be as loyal as reported. He had no idea who Steve Burnside was, and he really didn't care. What bothered Leon was the possible involvement of Albert Wesker. While he had never personally met the man, he had heard a lot about him from the other Raccoon City survivors. Especially, from Claire Redfield's older brother, Chris.**

**He winced at the thought. He hadn't seen Claire since she had left for Paris so long ago. They had grown close for a time after the incident in Raccoon City, until she had gotten confirmation from Barry Burton of her brother's whereabouts. Chris Redfield had been in Europe with Barry and Jill Valentine, two fellow S.T.A.R.S. members. **

**He'd come home to find her packing her bags, on her way to the Umbrella headquarters in France, where Chris was rumored to be. He'd begged her not to go; God knew, they had both still woke screaming in the night, unable to forget the horror they had barely survived. Her willingness to throw herself back into the nightmare they nearly hadn't escaped had terrified him. They had argued, and she'd walked out on him. She'd promised to return, alive and unharmed, but he hadn't believed her.**

**After Claire's desertion, he had taken refuge in his anger and moved he and Sherry to California, as far away from the east coast as he could possibly get while still staying in the country. He'd worked for the local police for about four months when he received his first visit from the U.S. Government. His heroics--their word, not his--had brought him to their attention. They'd wanted his help for a newly-formed anti-Umbrella task force. He'd declined, and they'd threatened to take Sherry if he didn't cooperate.**

**Leon had found himself moving yet again. Sherry had been thirteen and in the middle of eighth grade. It hadn't been an easy on her, but she hadn't complained. No, her nightmares had just gotten worse, until he'd been forced to find her a psychiatrist--government-issued, of course.**

**He'd gone undercover in the F.B.I., of all places. He'd found the suspected information leak, and Umbrella had lost one more small cog in their international machine. He'd even kept in touch with Chris for a while, via email, in his quest to use his new-found connections to help his former comrades.**

**When he'd opened his personal email to find a message from Claire Redfield, he'd been stunned. And excited, Leon remembered with a bitter smile. His hands had actually shook as he'd clicked on her name, but it had only lasted until he'd read the damned thing. She'd been captured in Paris by Umbrella forces and taken to a prison complex on Rockfort Island. **

**He hadn't been able to leave his federal jailers to help her, but he had done the next best thing. He had emailed Chris and sent her beloved brother there to rescue her, all the while praying that he wasn't too late.**

**Leon didn't know what had happened after that. To this day, he had heard no more from the Redfields. He kept tabs on them through the connections he'd made in the spook world, but that was only superficial stuff. Neither Claire or her brother had ever bothered to call and see how he was doing. He sent them information when he could, though he usually kept his identity a secret. They had turned their backs on him, and as much as it hurt, he found that he couldn't do the same. After seven long years, Claire still meant to much to him to let go.**

**In the meantime, he had been trained in the shadow world of Black Ops by his government. His unit was under the direction of the President himself, and he had been partnered with former Navy Seal Jack Krauser. Until Jack had been declared dead after his transport helicopter crashed in 2002. After that, he had refused another partner, and his jailers had been only too happy to comply with their pet's demands. Only the best for the man they'd put so much effort in securing, he thought sourly.**

**Once Umbrella Inc. had been dismantled by the government, his role had changed. He lived not far from the White House now, his main job to guard Ashley Graham, the President's beloved teenage daughter. And it was a killer.**

**Ashley had been kidnapped by the Los Illuminados, a religious cult in South America, and his first assignment had been to retrieve her. They had both nearly died when Saddler, the head of the cult, had injected them with the Las Plagas parasite. Had they not found the cure before they escaped, they would have been turned into mindless slaves of the Los Illuminados. They would have been fully aware of what was happening to them, but unable to stop it. It would've been worst than being turned into a zombie, and as good as being dead.**

**Leon sighed heavily. He had received an accommodation from President Graham for the rescue, and his life had been blessedly uneventful ever since.**

**Sherry had graduated from high school last summer, and gone off to college just last month. He'd had a lot of time on his hands, and he had to admit that he was bored. He had nearly picked up the phone a dozen times, tempted to call Claire, just to see how she was doing, to hear her musical voice after so long. She hadn't been willing to talk to him seven years ago, and he doubted that that had changed. Now that he had a legitimate excuse to call, he was ashamed to discover that he was scared to.**

**Sherry had kept in touch with her, and she'd told Leon how angry Claire had been. As far as he knew, Claire still hadn't forgiven him for leaving during her absence. Leon couldn't blame her, it had been a shitty thing to do, but he hadn't had a choice. He couldn't go with her; someone had to care for the twelve-year-old girl they'd rescued from that hell. He had honestly believed that Claire would be killed by Umbrella, and he hadn't been able to deal with it. So, he'd moved, and tried to leave her behind.**

**Not that it had worked, Leon thought with a bitter laugh. Everywhere he went, he found himself looking for her. He'd actually followed a woman through a mall once because she'd worn her rich red-brown hair in a ponytail. The lady had nearly called the cops, until he'd convinced her that he really _had_ thought she was someone else.**

**Oh, God. Leon laughed softly at the memory. That woman had been _pissed_. He'd still been a cop in California then, and it'd been his badge that had convinced her not to call the police and report him. He was still surprised at the disappointment he'd felt when he realized it wasn't Claire. He had thrown himself into his work after that, cracked a few high-profile cases from behind the scenes, and joined the Secret Service. He had no social life to speak of, and he didn't want one. He'd learned his lesson with Claire Redfield.**

**Leon shook his head and wrote a quick email to Claire, not giving himself time to think about it. He left his email address and his cell phone number, and attached the mysterious message from Bdragon1. If he knew Claire Redfield, she would show it to her brother first, who would show it to Valentine, and then to the rest of the S.T.A.R.S. team. It would remain to be seen if they would try to leave him out of the loop, or if they would accept them into their little group.**

**Not that it mattered, he reminded himself firmly. This wasn't something he could ignore. With or without S.T.A.R.S., he was going to New York.**

**He went back online, wanting to know all there was to know about Vorshlag Industries, and Kenneth Irons, before he left for New York.**

**Claire Redfield switched on her computer, easing into the chair with a sigh. She'd had a bitch of a day, and her feet were killing her. She was going to go over tomorrow's training simulation, throw dinner in the microwave, and go to sleep. She heard the annoyingly familiar voice inform her that she had mail and groaned. Probably another invitation from Rebecca to go hiking or fishing. She hated to fish, and she'd rather mountain-climb than hike.**

**But Rebecca Chambers wasn't the adventurous type. She was like a calm pool of water, and she constantly made Claire want to throw a few rocks in just to see the ripples. Rebecca was just so damned _nice_. It really made it hard to tease her the way she wanted to.**

**Claire saw her email address and smiled. Yep, a message from Becca. Maybe she could talk the younger woman into going bunji-jumping, or something equally exciting. Definitely no fishing! She was about to click on it when a familiar name caught her eye. **

**_Leon Kennedy._ **

**She stared at the screen in shock, her mind refusing to accept what was right in front of her face. She hadn't heard from Leon since he'd walked out on her almost seven years ago. The bastard had broken her heart, and taken Sherry away from her. What the hell gave him the right to contact her, now?**

**Oh God, had something happened to Sherry!**

**Claire opened the message, trying to control a sudden trembling. All she saw was his name, a phone number, and a request to look at an attachment. Resentment instantly flooded her, and she fought it. Leon didn't give a shit about her. He never had. He wouldn't contact her unless it was important, and the most important thing in his life was Sherry Birkin.**

**She clicked on the attachment and froze. Eleven simple words, each more devastating than the last. _New York. Vorshlag Industries. Las Plagas. Umbrella. Albert Wesker. Steve Burnside._ **

**Umbrella and Albert Wesker, she thought, fear rising up to choke her. She still had nightmares from the beating he'd given her in Antarctica. Chris had saved her, but she'd never forgotten how helpless she'd felt as he'd batted her around like an annoying fly. He'd nearly killed her, and he'd done it with almost no effort. If Chris hadn't distracted him, and Claire Redfield would be dead today.**

**Claire shuddered and covered her face with her hands. Damn it, she had worked so hard to rebuild her life after Umbrella Inc. had devastated it. The nightmares had never stopped, and Leon's desertion had only compounded them. To this day, she still woke up crying, his name on her lips and that damned ache in her heart. The images of the T-virus mutations that still haunted her dreams hadn't done nearly as much damage to her peace of mind as memories of Leon Kennedy had.**

**And Steve, she thought incredulously. She pictured the cinnamon-haired young man she had met on Rockfort Island, his brash smile lighting his green eyes, his voice taunting her as he offered to trade the golden Lugers for something fully automatic.**

**Claire smiled to herself at the memory. Steve had been seventeen to her nineteen, but that hadn't made a difference. He had been brave for all of his inexperience, saving her life more than once. She remembered his vulnerability after he had been forced to kill the zombie that had once been his father. He had shut himself away from her after that, away from the world. Then, he had popped back into her life, infuriating her with his cocky teasing, and stopped Alfred Ashford from taking her life--while the psycho was in drag, of course.**

**Then, he had been captured by Alexia Ashford. He had been injected with the T-Veronica virus and mutated beyond belief. He had nearly killed her, coming to his senses at the last minute, and turning that battle ax on himself. He had died in her arms, his last words piercing her heart and shattering it.**

_**I love you, Claire.**_

**She shuddered and pushed the memories away. Although she had card for Steve, she had been in love with Leon. He hadn't known that. If he had, maybe things would have turned out differently. Maybe, he wouldn't have been so hell-bent on protecting her. She didn't know, and she couldn't afford to brood about it now. There was too much to be done.**

**She forwarded the email to Chris, even though she knew that he and Jill had planned a quiet evening alone. They had even threatened to turn the ringers off on their phones, even though S.T.A.R.S. members were technically on-call at all times. Chris might not even see the email before morning, and Claire realized that she couldn't take the chance that he might not see it. If Umbrella were up to their old tricks, they all needed to be ready.**

**She printed a copy of the email and shut down the computer. She changed into a pair of jeans and a tshirt, grabbed her leather jacket, and was out the door. **

"**Dammit!" Chris Redfield groaned as his computer chirped obnoxiously. He lifted his head and gave the machine a dirty look. The last thing he wanted to do was respond to an email that might send he and Jill on another mission. "I am not going to answer that!"**

**Jill Valentine laughed softly, her head falling onto his shoulder. "Yeah, right, Mr. Responsibility."**

**He grunted and tightened his arms around her. "This was supposed to be _our_ night," he grumbled with disappointment. "We don't get enough time alone together as it is."**

**She made an inarticulate sound of agreement, pressing her lips to his throat. "I know you too well, Redfield. You're not going to be able to ignore it."**

"**Try me," he growled playfully, flipping her beneath him and kissing her senseless.**

**Jill grinned up at him as he raised his head, loving the way his blue eyes flashed when he was annoyed. God, but Chris Redfield made her happy! "Go on," she urged him, giving him a gentle nudge. "Check it and get it over with. You know it's going to drive you crazy until you do."**

"**Dammitt, Valentine, I hate it when you're right." He nuzzled her throat for a few moments before withdrawing with a dramatic sigh. "This had better be a future mission, or heads are going to roll."**

**She just laughed again, clutching the sheet to her as she watched him. Unabashedly naked, he bent over the computer's keyboard and punched a few keys. His big body went still for a long moment before he began swearing profusely. He grabbed the phone and quickly dialed, half-turning to wave her forward. **

"**What is it?" she asked, alarmed by his reaction. Chris was usually so calm and cool, a rock of stability. Little ruffled his feathers, but when it did, it was usually bad. "Chris?" **

"**Come on, Claire, answer," Chris muttered, swearing again when her phone continued to ring.**

**Jill eased past him and read the email. She paled, swallowing hard against a sudden feeling of nausea. _Umbrella_, she thought with a shudder. She clutched the sheet tighter around her, her good mood gone. Damn it, Umbrella Inc. was dead. They had taken the huge pharmaceutical corporation down themselves. They couldn't possibly have managed to resurrect themselves, could they?**

**Chris cursed again beside her, running a hand through his spiky brown hair. She couldn't even manage a smile as it stood straight up, making him look as though he'd been electrocuted. She laid a hand on his arm, drawing his deep blue eyes to her own.**

"**Try her cell," she suggested with a calmness she didn't feel.**

**He flashed her a grateful smile and dialed again. It was answered on the first ring, and relief surged through him. "Claire, are you all right?" he demanded sharply.**

"_**I'm fine, Chris. You got the message?"**_

"**Yeah, I got it." He exhaled harshly. "Kennedy sent it to you?"**

"**_Yeah."_ Silence, and then, _"Do you think there's anything to it?"_**

"**I don't know, Claire. But I don't think we can ignore it."**

"_**I know. Are you going to contact the others?"**_

**He nodded, then remembered that she couldn't see him. "Yeah, I'll call the rest of Alpha Team in. Where are you?"**

"**_I'm almost to your place_._ What about Barry?"_**

**Chris hesitated. "He's retired now, Claire. I don't want to drag him back into this."**

"_**Okay. I'll see you in a few minutes. Tell Jill I'm sorry I interrupted your night alone."**_

"**Wait, Claire." Chris hesitated before saying, "About Burnside--"**

"_**No, Chris. Just. . .no."**_

**He sighed as the line clicked off. He closed the phone and turned to Jill, who's light blue eyes were dark with worry. He slipped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. "Claire's on her way here. We need to get dressed and call the team."**

**Jill nodded and huddled closer. "Do think it's true?" she asked quietly. "Do you think that Umbrella is working on its experiments in New York?"**

"**I don't know," he answered heavily, rubbing his cheek against the dark silk of her hair. "I hope not, Jill, but we can't take any chances. We have to check this out."**

"**Of course, we do." Jill straightened and sent him a weak smile. "Why don't you take a shower while I call the others?"**

**Chris shook his head immediately, as she'd known he would. "No, I'm the leader of Alpha Team. I'll do it." He sent her a small, worried smile. "You get dressed first, okay?"**

"**Okay." She brushed her lips over his and retreated into the bathroom.**

"**Damn." Chris stared after her for a long moment, dread uncoiling deep in his stomach. This was their worst nightmare, what they had worked so hard to prevent. After the nightmare of the mansion, and Rockfort Island, _and _the hell of Antarctica, he'd thought it was over. They had revealed Umbrella's true nature to the world, and the nightmare they had unleashed upon it. Umbrella Inc. had gone down in flames, forever, they'd believed. Now it looked as though they had merely gone underground, and they had to be stopped.**

**And Wesker, Chris thought with hatred. Albert Wesker was still alive, had survived the attack of the mutated Alexia Ashford. The son of a bitch had blackmailed Barry, used them all to test Umbrella's B.O.W.s, and nearly beat his sister to death. By all rights, he should be the one suffering from nightmares and the occasional flashback. Instead, he was alive and well somewhere in New York, creating more living nightmares to unleash on an unsuspecting populace.**

**And let's not forget Steve Burnside, he told himself angrily. He hadn't actually met the boy, but he had found Claire sobbing over his body as though her heart had broken. He'd had to peel her away from him, and she'd had nightmares where she woke screaming his name for more than a year. She'd told him that she felt responsible for death, because the kid had developed a crush on her and been determined to be her hero.**

**Chris shook his head and grabbed the phone. Claire knew better, but guilt was a powerful thing. He dialed Rebecca's number and pushed thoughts of Claire's savior aside. There was no time to lose if they were going to stop Umbrella.**

**Rebecca Chambers gazed at the message on her laptop screen with a sense of disbelief. She squeezed her eyes shut and counted to ten, praying that her eyes were playing tricks on her. She opened them and found her hopes dashed. Six years after the horror she had endured aboard the Umbrella train, the Arkley Mansion, and the Spencer Mansion, it was starting again.**

**She reread the message, hope creeping in to battle with the fear. Seven years was a long time, but she had never stopped wondering. The message could be a trap, of course, but Rebecca didn't think so.**

_**New York. Vorshlag Industries. Las Plagas. Umbrella. Albert Wesker. Billy Coen.**_

**Maybe it was just her desire to see him again that made her so eager to believe. Billy would be thirty-three now, and he was still a fugitive from military justice. He'd been accused of killing twenty-three civilians during the war in Afghanistan. He'd denied it, of course, but Rebecca had surprised herself by believing him. **

**He hadn't left her on that train in the Arkham mountains, though it would have been easy to do. He had saved her life, and together they had had battled the biological creatures that Dr. Marcus had unleashed. He had proved to be a good partner, calm under pressure, cool almost to the point of coldness. When they had parted, she'd let him go, even though he was an accused murderer. He'd told her what had happened in that little village in Africa. She knew that he could have lied to her, but she had seen him in the throes of a flashback once, and she just _knew_ that Billy Coen had been telling the truth.**

**She didn't know what Las Plagas meant, or what the Fortune 500 company Vorshlag Industries had to do with them. But if Umbrella and Albert Wesker were involved, a lot of people were going to die. As a medic, her job was to heal others. Even without the tease of Billy Coen, she wouldn't be able to turn her back on this.**

**She was writing an email to Chris when her phone rang. She grabbed it and tucked it between her shoulder and her ear. "Hello?"**

"_**Rebecca, it's Chris."**_

"**Hi, Chris." Her blue-gray eyes went to the email as she asked, "What's up?"**

"_**We've got a problem, Becca. Can you come to my place tonight?"**_

**Rebecca paused. "You got one too, didn't you?" she asked softly.**

**There was a long silence. "_Yeah. Wesker's alive,"_ he added, his voice suddenly harsh.**

"**So, it says." She hesitated, not wanting to mention Billy, who was still a sore spot between she and the rest of Alpha Team. "I'll be right there, Chris. Have you called Carlos?"**

"_**He's next. Claire is already on her way. Watch your back, Becca."**_

"**I will. See you soon."**

**Rebecca hung up and shut down the computer. She pulled on her weapons vest and armed herself, making sure she had plenty of ammo. All of Umbrella's creatures took at least a clip to kill. She checked her med-kit, grabbed her keys, and flew out the door. There was no time to waste.**

**Carlos Olivera ignored the ring of the phone, all his attention focused on the woman in his arms. He was off duty, damn it, and he was _busy_! It rang twice more before his machine picked up. Redfield's voice came over the line, and his words caused Carlos' blood to run cold.**

"_**Carlos, check your email and rendezvous at my place. Umbrella's back."**_

**He cursed and rolled off the blond, ignoring her protest as he went to his computer. He waited impatiently for it to boot up, praying that Redfield was wrong. He clicked on the newest message and cursed fluently in Spanish. It looked like the Special Tactics and Rescue Service was going to New York to battle more undead B.O.W.s.**

**Oh, joy.**

**He felt small, feminine hands slide over his shoulders and reached up to thrust them away. "I have to go," he said abruptly, rising from the chair. "Duty calls, and all that."**

**The blond—who's name escaped him just now—put her hands on her slender hips and pouted. "You're just leaving?"**

**"Si, senorita." Carlos grinned at her angry look. For some reason, she hated it when he spoke anything but English around her. "Sorry, chica, but I have to work."**

**"Damn it, Carlos. You can't do this to me, again!"**

**He headed for the shower, throwing over his shoulder, "Just let yourself out, sweetcakes. I'll call you when I get back."**

**He shut the door on her angry, "Oh, no, you won't!", grinning all the while. She was a lot of fun in bed, but not so much out of it. Typical woman, he thought with a mock sigh. He jumped in the shower, trying to push back the memories of his time in the U.B.C.S., Raccoon City, and the Nemesis.**

**It didn't work.**

**He had once been a member of the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service, until he had been betrayed by his friend and ally, Nicholai Ginovaef. He and Jill had nearly died because of him, only luck and their willingness to shoot first and ask questions later had saved their lives.**

**Then, there had been the giant mutation called Nemesis that had followed them all over Raccoon City, chanting, "S.T.A.R.S.," like some sort of idiot-savant, trying to kill them--with a gatling gun. Compliments of an hombre named Wesker.**

**After battling a giant snake, killing Nicholai, and finally defeating Nemesis, they'd made it out of the city. Just in time to see the nukes hit it, Carlos thought caustically. Jill had gone on to Europe to find her best friend and S.T.A.R.S. comrade, Chris Redfield. Carlos had tagged along for the hell of it. It had been interesting, to say the least.**

**Once he'd gotten over his crush on Jill, and his disappointment at her choice of Redfield over him, he'd joined the new S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team, which had started as an anti-Umbrella unit, and never looked back. Once thing was certain—life was never boring around the Raccoon City survivors.**

**He jumped out of the shower and dressed in his S.T.A.R.S. uniform, making sure his weapons vest was fully stocked, before climbing into his Hummer. Time for action, he thought with a reckless smile, ignoring nightmare visions of zombies and other assorted monsters. Down time was highly overrated, anyway.**

**Billy Coen glanced around the darkened warehouse where he was currently hiding with careful cobalt eyes. Satisfied that they were alone, he turned to the dark shadow standing motionless a few feet away. "Any word, yet?"**

"**They have all accessed their email," a soft but deep male voice replied. "Kennedy has contacted the younger Redfield, and she has passed the message along. I took the liberty of emailing Chambers, Burton, and Hunk separately, as a precaution. It shouldn't be long, now."**

**Billy grunted, tapping his thigh with the pistol in his hand. "I hope not. We're not going be safe here for too much longer."**

**Ian Nottingham inclined his head once, his dark eyes intense as he too searched the shadows. "We have done all that we can," he said simply. "The rest is up to them."**

"**If they don't come, we're screwed," Billy reminded him unnecessarily.**

**Ian remained silent, his mind on the horrors they had both witnessed. "If they do not come, we will go to them," he said finally. "I have no intention of being used that way."**

**Billy stiffened. "I don't want to end up in front of a firing squad, Nottingham."**

"**And I do not wish to be implanted with a Las Plagas," Ian stated calmly in return. "We must wait, Billy. All we can do until they arrive is keep ourselves alive and out of Wesker's hands."**

"**Easier said than done." Billy checked his weapon, making sure it was fully loaded. He wasn't going down without a fight, and they sure as hell wouldn't take him alive either. "We should've killed Irons when we had the chance."**

**Ian sighed at the man's words. "We would not have survived the attempt, Billy. Irons would have."**

"**How can you be so sure?" Billy asked impatiently. "He's not a B.O.W."**

"**No, he's not. But his bond to the Witchblade makes him nearly invulnerable."**

"**Fucking mystical sword," Billy muttered, angry at himself for getting into this mess in the first place. "Zombies and B.O.W.s and soul-stealing parasites aren't bad enough. Oh, no. We've got to deal with an ancient, shape-shifting weapon too."**

**Amber eyes gleamed. "They're not zombies," Ian reminded him placidly.**

"**Close enough for me." Billy paused. "At least, they're not giant leeches this time."**

"**Something to be thankful for, I'm sure," Ian murmured with a hint of laughter.**

**One corner of Billy's thin lips quirked up in response. The assassin had a warped sense of humor, once he remembered it was there. "You're a strange one, Nottingham. Damned strange."**

**Ian merely smiled. "So, I've been told."**

"**What about your girlfriend?" Billy said in an abrupt change of subject. "When are you going to give her more than cryptic clues as to what your boss is up to?"**

**The smile disappeared completely. "I do not want Sara involved in this."**

**His voice had deepened dramatically, his words laced with menace. If he'd cared, Billy might have been scared. "Look, I get that she doesn't seem to like you very much, but we need all the help we can get here. If Pezzini is as powerful as you say—"**

"**No." Ian stood and approached him silently. "If Irons implants a parasite in Sara Pezzini, he will have an unstoppable supernatural tool. Once he learned how to control the Las Plagas, he would use Sara to kill us, and anyone else that stood in his way. It's a chance we can't afford to take. As much as I want her to investigate Father, I don't want her hurt by him."**

"**And the fact that you're in love with her has nothing to do with it," Billy drawled sarcastically.**

"**Of course, it does." Ian lowered his gaze out of habit. "It is as true as it is obvious. I would be lying if I said otherwise. But the Witchblade has a history of deserting its Wielder at her most dire hour, and I refuse to be a part of bringing that about. I have warned her of the danger Irons poses to her. That will have to be enough."**

**Billy sighed at that. He understood completely. He'd been hesitant about this plan simply because Rebecca Chambers was still a member of S.T.A.R.S., and he hadn't wanted to see her hurt. But they were out of options, and he couldn't spare her any longer. Besides, he wanted to see her. Seven years apart was long enough. **

"**So, we sit on our thumbs and wait," he uttered with impatience .**

"**Yes. Unless," Ian added smoothly, "you wish to continue actively hunting these creatures before your comrades arrive."**

**He snorted. "They're not my comrades, Ian. And no, I'll wait for backup to show before I take on those damn monsters again."**

"**Then, we wait." Ian echoed his sigh and took a seat on an old crate. "I wish we had a chessboard to pass the time."**

"**I'd settle for a deck of cards." Billy saw the assassin's surprised look and shook his dark head. "Never played poker, huh?"**

"**No." Ian tilted his head to one side. "Do you enjoy gambling?"**

**Broad shoulders lifted in a shrug, the faint light from the windows briefly illuminating the black tribal tattoo that ran down his right arm. "I just like to play, whether money's involved or not."**

"**Mmmm." Ian fell silent for a long moment. "You were with Force Recon, were you not?"**

**Billy's dark blue eyes narrowed on his. "Yeah, and you were a Ranger. So what?"**

"**How many do you think you have killed for your country, Lieutenant Coen?"**

**He reigned in the angry remark that sprang to his lips, knowing that the other man had a point to make. He always did when asked questions like that. "More than I care to remember," he answered finally. "Why?"**

"**I was wondering why you found it necessary to hide your presence here from all but Miss Chambers," Ian told him simply. "They are soldiers, are they not? All soldiers kill. Do they truly believe they are different?"**

"**Yes, they do." Billy took a seat near him, his handsome features impassive. He'd kept an ear out for news of Rebecca Chambers, and that had included gathering information on S.T.A.R.S. "They believe in right or wrong, black and white. They don't even see the gray areas that we live in."**

**Ian shook his head at that. "Sara is the same," he offered. "Her world hasn't been normal since she acquired the blade, and yet she still refuses to see it as it truly is."**

"**Rebecca was like that until we survived Arkham together. She didn't have to let me go, Nottingham. She would have been well within her legal rights had she shot me dead. But she didn't," Billy murmured, rubbing the spot in his chest where his dog tags had once lain. "In the end, she did the right thing and let me walk away. She's different from the rest of them."**

**Ian smiled faintly. "I think that, perhaps, I am not the only one in love."**

**Billy slanted him a nasty look but let the comment go. "Why don't you crank up the laptop and see if anyone's reached out to touch us, yet," he suggested warningly.**

**The assassin only smiled again and opened the laptop.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in the work below. If I did. . .nevermind, you don't want to know.**

**Synopsis: Set six months after the Las Plagas incident, our favorite RE characters crossover with a few (hopefully) familiar TV characters. Rated 'T' for bad language and stupid humor. Borders on AU.**

**Chapter Two**

**Leon was packing his bags when his cell phone began to ring. He pulled it off of his belt slowly, almost afraid to answer it. Was it Claire, or her jerk brother? He flipped it open without checking the caller I.D., his heart pounding, his throat dry. "Kennedy," he greeted hoarsely.**

"**_Hi, Dad,"_ a girl's voice teased.**

"**Hey, Sherry." Leon smiled into the phone, unable to help himself, despite the situation. "How's school?"**

"_**It's good, Leon. I'm really enjoying myself here."**_

"**I'm glad," he told her softly. "Your schedule isn't too rough, then?"**

**She laughed, the sound happy and free. _"I love the challenge. Quit worrying so much, Leon. I'm fine."_**

**He chuckled. "Hey, if you can call me Dad, I can worry like one."**

"**_Like I could stop you. How are _you_?"_ she asked suddenly, throwing him off guard._ "Your message said it was important."_**

"**I'm okay." Leon hesitated before adding, "I have to leave for a few weeks, honey. I just wanted you to know so you wouldn't worry if you couldn't get a hold of me."**

**There was a long silence. _"Another mission?"_ she asked at length.**

"**Yeah." Close enough, Leon thought with a wince. "I'll have my cell with me, but—"**

"**_Don't call unless it's an emergency,"_ she finished for him. _"I know the drill, Leon."_**

**He sighed heavily. He really hated lying to her, but he wasn't the only one who still had nightmares of Raccoon City. "I'm sorry, Sherry, but I have to go. It _is_ important."**

"_**I know, I know. National security and all that."**_

"**Yes," he confirmed simply. It might not be an official mission, but the nation's safety might very well depend on what happened in New York. **

"**_You'll be careful, right?"_ she asked him, her tone serious.**

"**Always," Leon assured her somberly. She had lost both her parents in the Raccoon City outbreak, and he understood her fear of loss. It was one he shared. "I'll come back, Sherry. I promise."**

"**_You'd better,"_ she threatened with mock menace.**

"**I will. In fact," he told her suddenly, "I'll come down to the school afterwards and spend a few days with you. How's that?"**

**She groaned dramatically. _"Great. I'll have to beat my dormmates off with a stick."_**

**Leon snorted at that. "I'm twenty-seven, honey. I'm too old for most of your friends."**

"_**You didn't have to play Twenty Questions with them, Leon. I had a hell of a time convincing them that you were my father because of how young you looked."**_

**He laughed. He just couldn't help it. "I'm sorry, Sherry. I really am. But don't worry. I'll stay at a hotel. I won't even be around the dorms much."**

"**_Yeah, well, it's too late for that, _Dad_. I told them all that you're pining for a lost love, and they thought that was really romantic. A couple of them even offered to heal you."_**

**The laughter stopped abruptly as images of Claire flashed through his mind, leaving a hollow ache in his chest. "I should probably go now," he told her in a quiet, subdued voice. "I need to finish packing."**

**Sherry just sighed at her guardian's reluctance to discuss Claire Redfield. _"Be careful, Leon. I love you."_**

"**I love you, too, honey." **

**Leon closed the phone and tucked it into his pocket. For a moment, he was tempted to just cut and run. To leave everything behind and bury himself somewhere far away, where the government and anyone else would be unable to find him. The moment passed, as it always had before, and he went back to packing. He was borrowing a jet from the President, who wasn't too happy about what Leon was doing. But since he couldn't authorize an investigation into a closed case, he had grudgingly given Leon permission to go—unofficially, of course.**

**Which was just fine with him, Leon told himself firmly. He was used to doing things his own way. He was a damned good agent, but his superiors had repeatedly shook their heads over his maverick attitude. After working so well with Claire once upon a time, he hadn't taken to having other partners well. In the end, the anti-Umbrella unit he had worked for had been relieved to hand him over to the President, and he had been equally relieved to go.**

**He was a loner. He had his adopted daughter, and a few assorted friends. He didn't see them very often, but they were there. Kevin Ryman lived in D.C., not more than five miles away. Kevin had been a well-established member of the R.P.D. when the T-virus had swept through Raccoon City. He'd barely managed to make it out, and a random picture of a group of survivors in the local paper had sent Leon running to rescue the guy from the government hospital he'd ended up in. He'd been infected with the T-virus during his escape, and he'd been on the point of turning when he'd been rescued. The anti-serum had been administered, and Kevin had spent nearly a week insensate while his exhausted body struggled to fight off the infection.**

**Kevin was one of the smartest people Leon had ever met, but he hid it beneath a veneer of reckless irresponsibility. He'd known Chris and Forest from S.T.A.R.S., but his applications to join had always been turned down. They got together twice a month, usually to drink and play darts, which was Kevin's passion.**

**Leon considered contacting him but hesitated. Like him, Kevin still had nightmares of the hell that had been Raccoon City. Kevin seemed to be dealing with them pretty well, but every once in a while he'd get quiet, and the look in his eyes told an all too familiar story.**

**He finally decided to test the waters on this, first. He sent a rather innocuous email to Kevin, telling him that he was going to New York to visit an old friend and check out some rumors he'd heard concerning Vorshlag's genetic research. He'd let Kevin's innate curiosity take care of the rest. If Kevin was up for the action, he'd call. If not, Leon would understand completely.**

**There had been another guy he'd liked when he'd been uncover in the F.B.I, an agent from California named Jake McCartey. The man's dimpled, blond, surfer-type looks had made him the butt of almost as many jokes as Leon. At least, he'd never gotten the Backstreet Boy comments, Leon thought with a grin. They'd saved all those for _him_.**

**McCartey was currently working undercover in New York city, trying to infiltrate a state-wide organization of corrupt cops known as the White Bulls. He was posing as a rookie, partnered with a team of homicide detectives, one of which was an even bigger maverick than Leon. They only talked on the phone or by email a few times a year, their schedules and lifestyles making it nearly impossible to get together.**

**Still, Jake would remember him, and hopefully he'd agree to help him on this one. If not, he was jeopardizing his own mission by going to the other man. Leon didn't think that would be a problem, though. McCartey had been solid, a good agent that you could rely on. Which was why he'd been sent to New York in the first place.**

**The phone rang again and Leon just sighed. "Kennedy."**

"_**Hey, pretty boy. I heard you needed a sharpshooter to take out some Umbrella assholes."**_

**He grinned hugely. "And Mr. Death is game?" he asked rhetorically.**

**The man on the other end of the line just laughed evilly. _"When and where, Kennedy?"_**

"**Immediately. New York, the Wiltshire Hotel. Presidential Suite."**

"**_Fitting," _Hunk said, and Leon could picture the mercenary's grin. _"See you there, blondie."_**

**Leon hung up, still smiling. He had met Hunk in D.C. shortly after moving here. The former Umbrella employee had a grudge of his own against his former employers, and he had actually gone to Washington to introduce himself to the infamous Raccoon City survivor, Leon Kennedy. Hunk had offered him a job the merc outfit he'd joined after leaving Umbrella. Leon had turned him down, but they'd become friends. **

**Whenever Sherry had left D.C. to visit Claire, Hunk had shown up and they'd spent the week drinking and just hanging out. He'd never told Leon why he hated Umbrella so much, or why he had left them, and Leon hadn't pressed. It wasn't any of his business, and he didn't need to know to be friends with the enigmatic sniper. **

**He felt better knowing that Hunk would be in on this. The S.T.A.R.S. members were brave, but they might shrink from doing what was necessary to put Umbrella down once and for all. Hunk had no such moral hang-ups, for which Leon was infinitely grateful. He was going to put an end to all of Umbrella's experiments, even if he had kill normal humans to do it.**

**Leon packed a small arsenal of weapons, including the new P.R.L.412 laser cannon. It had been developed after his return from South America, designed specifically to destroy the Las Plagas parasite from within the host. Of course, it also killed it after it emerged, too. He had yet to try it under battle conditions, but it had tested well, and he was eager to try it out.**

**He took his baggage down to his jeep and locked it inside. He probably didn't have to worry about security here in this upscale complex, but it always paid to be cautious. **

**He went back upstairs and sent a quick email to Claire. He told her what hotel he'd be staying at, and invited S.T.A.R.S. to join him in his investigation. They wouldn't want to work with him, but if they were smart, they would join with him instead of going off by themselves. Simply put, Leon Kennedy was not a man to be fucked with, and it was time they all realized it. **

**Claire's cell phone beeped and she checked it. She had another email from Leon. Trading a glance with her brother, she opened it and sighed. He'd gone on without them, not even waiting for them to contact him. He had to know that S.T.A.R.S. was willing to do whatever it took to stop Umbrella, yet he's still gone to New York on his own. Stubborn jerk, she thought uncharitably.**

**"Was it him?" Chris asked, his voice revealing his anger.**

**She nodded, her ponytail bouncing with the movement. "He's on his way to New York. He left us the name of his hotel, and asked S.T.A.R.S to join him there."**

**"Arrogant bastard," her brother muttered, and she turned away to hide an involuntary smile. **

**From what Sherry had told her over the last six years, Leon had changed a great deal. He was more of a loner, now. He didn't work with a partner if he could avoid it, preferring to do things his own way. Chris didn't realize just how big a deal it was that Leon had even bothered to send her that first email, let alone issue an invitation to a group of people that he had to know hated him.**

**"Well, chica," Carlos said with his usual smirk, "do we follow your boyfriend to New York then?"**

**"Carlos!" Rebecca frowned at him, her blue-gray eyes narrowed in warning. The effect was ruined by her youthful features, which made look fourteen instead of twenty-four.**

**Carlos merely winked at her, completely unconcerned in the face of her anger. "Well?" he repeated smilingly.**

**Chris traded a glance with Jill before answering for her. "I don't think we have a choice," he said finally. "But this mission is strictly voluntary. If anyone wants to bow out, they can."**

**The Latin man snorted at that. "Yeah, right, amigo. Like we'd leave this to _you_."**

**He smiled faintly and looked to Rebecca, his expression softening. "What about you, Becca?" he asked more gently. "Are you sure you want to put yourself through this, again?"**

**Rebecca nodded, her cherubic features solemn. "We have to stop Umbrella from hurting anyone else," she said, careful to keep her desire to see Billy Coen well hidden. **

**Chris straightened, his gaze going to his sister. "Claire?" he asked quietly.**

**Claire nodded, her hazy blue eyes somber. "Wild horses and all that."**

**Jill sent her an encouraging smile. "I'm in," she said unnecessarily. **

**"Like there was ever a doubt," Carlos quipped. Redfield frowned at him, and he upped the wattage on his smile. He knew that the other man was very protective of Jill Valentine, and Carlos had once fancied himself in love with her. Carlos knew better now, but that didn't stop Redfield from being touchy on the subject. And, it was fun to jerk the man's chain. He was way too serious.**

**"Then, we'll leave tomorrow." Chris put an arm around Jill's shoulders as he spoke. "Pack whatever you need and meet me at headquarter's at 06:00. We'll do a proper debriefing on the plane. S.T.A.R.S. dismissed."**

**"What about me?"**

**Chris looked up to see Barry Burton standing in the doorway. "Barry!" he exclaimed with surprise. "What are you doing here?"**

**The big, graying blond crossed his massive arms over his chest. "The same thing you all are, I'd imagine. Got a short email. Cryptic as hell, mentioning Umbrella."**

**"Damn."**

**"What, you were gonna leave me out?" the older man asked angrily.**

**"Barry, you're retired," Jill reminded him in a soft voice. "You have a family to take care of."**

**"Doesn't mean I'm not a part of this, Jilly." He looked Chris straight in the eye and said, "I know I won't be any good in combat, but I can man the fort while you guys are out fighting. You'll need somebody to coordinate your attacks, and feed you intel. I'm your man."**

**Chris smiled, relieved to have the old man at his back, even if they wouldn't be fighting together. "It's good to see you, Barry. Welcome back."**

**Barry stepped through the doorway and clasped his hand. "It's time to stop these bastards once and for all." He stepped back and said, "My message mentioned Kennedy. Have you talked to him, yet?"**

**"He's on his way to New York," Jill informed him smoothly, ignoring her lover's angry look. "We're going to meet him there."**

**He nodded and looked to the window, where Claire was standing with her back to them. "You okay with this, kid?"**

**Claire turned around, her expression composed. "I can work with him," was all she said.**

**"Okay, then." Barry covered a yawn and scratched his red-gold beard. "Where can I crash?"**

**"I'll show you," Chris said, leading him into the hall. He waited until they were out of earshot to ask, "Did your email mention Wesker?"**

**"Yeah, it did," Barry sighed. "Like a bad penny, he just keeps turning up. Maybe, we'll get lucky and kill him for good this time."**

**"Maybe." Chris gestured to an open doorway. "That one's yours. Get some rest."**

**"Chris, wait." Barry pulled him into the room and closed the door. "Are **

**you gonna be okay with Kennedy being there?"**

**A muscle ticked in his jaw as he looked away. "I don't have a choice, Barry. Claire doesn't want him hurt."**

**"Are you going to be able to keep from going after him?"**

**Chris shrugged, his dark eyes glinting angrily. "I'll do my best," was all he could manage.**

**The older man studied him with shrewd blue eyes. "Just be careful here, Chris," he said heavily. "Kennedy has friends in high places, now."**

**"He wouldn't use them against us," Chris returned with a frown.**

**Barry crossed his arms over his chest. "And why not?"**

**"Because we're all survivors of Raccoon City," Chris reminded him with irritation. "We have a bond that—"**

**"Isn't going to mean shit to him after the way we all turned on him," Barry finished for him. "We ignored his calls and returned all of his letters. We closed ranks on him. Yeah, he hurt Claire when she came back to find him gone, but you know that she hurt him by going in the first place. He's got as much right to be pissed as she does. Maybe more. After all," he added pointedly, "she left him _and_ the kid."**

**"She did it for me," Chris snapped. "I_ am_ her brother."**

**"And he was her lover." Barry sighed and clapped him on the back. "It's been seven years, Chris. It must have been damn hard for him to contact us after all this time. Try to remember that once we're in New York. That's all I'm saying."**

**Chris nodded slowly, reigning in his temper. "I'll try, Barry. Get some sleep."**

**The other man merely sighed. "You, too."**

**Chris left the room, turning Barry's words over in his mind. He had spent almost seven years blaming Leon Kennedy for his sister's broken heart, but Claire_ had_ hurt him, too. He hadn't spared much thought for Kennedy's feelings in the wake of his sister's pain. Leon had taken Sherry with him when he left, and that had devastated Claire. Not only had she lost the guy she loved, she had lost her kid, too.**

**He rubbed his eyes tiredly. Maybe, Kennedy hadn't been solely to blame, but he should been able to understand Claire's decision to go to Europe. After all they had gone through in Raccoon City, they couldn't just forgive and **

**forget. Umbrella had to be stopped, and they were the only ones who could do it.**

**"Chris?" **

**Jill stood at the end of the hallway, her classic features showing concern. Chris smiled and went to her, pulling her into his arms. "I'm okay," he assured her quietly. "I'm just thinking about. . .everything."**

**She tightened her arms around him. "We'll get through this, Chris. Just like we did before."**

"**I hope so." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before releasing her. "We should all get some sleep. Do we have enough room for everyone?"**

**Jill uttered a low laugh at the question. Although he'd dismissed the team, he'd known that they would stay. "Carlos is going to sleep on the couch. Other than that, everyone's got a room."**

"**Good. Let me say goodnight to Claire, and I'll come to bed."**

**She smiled as she sauntered away. "Don't take too long, Redfield."**

**Chris grinned at her retreating back, grateful that they had been able to move past their friendship to the intimacy they now shared. They had discussed marriage a few times, but decided that they weren't ready for such a big step. Someday though, he was going to propose, and she was going to accept. Until then, he was completely happy with what they had.**

**He found Claire in the kitchen, munching listlessly on a bag of chips. She looked so sad, he thought with a pang. He knew that this was going to be hard on her. She hadn't dated seriously since Leon left, unable to trust another man with her heart. Now, he was coming back into her life, and Chris hoped that she could handle it.**

"**Are you all right?" he asked bluntly.**

**Her startling blue eyes lifted to his, the misery in their light depths shocking him. "I didn't think I'd ever seen him again," she said, making a helpless gesture with one hand. "He called all of you, he wrote all of you, but he never even tried to contact _me_."**

**Chris drew a startled breath at her words. "Of course, he did, Claire." At her frown, he explained, "You told me that you never wanted to see him, again. Whenever he called, I told him so. Eventually, he stopped calling."**

**She felt the sting of tears and immediately blinked them back. "I didn't know that," she murmured faintly. "Sherry never mentioned it, and you. . ."**

"**And I got angry every time you mentioned his name." He sighed and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry, Sis. If I'd known that you wanted to talk to him, I would have told you when he called."**

"**You hated him for hurting me," Claire pointed out with a bit of her usual spunk.**

**He smiled into her hair. "Yeah, but I knew how much you loved him. I wouldn't have stood in his way."**

"**No," she returned dryly, "you just would have beat the shit out of him at the first opportunity."**

"**Of course, I would have. I'm your brother, Claire. It's my job to beat up all of your boyfriends.'**

**She pulled back, her blue eyes sparkling as her mood shifted. "Thanks, Chris. I needed that."**

"**Yeah, me too." He sighed and asked, "What about Steve Burnside?"**

**Claire shook her head, her ponytail swaying with the motion. "Steve is dead. I held him while died, Chris. I felt him grow cold, felt the life leave him."**

"**What about what Wesker said?" he asked as gently as he could.**

**She looked away. "Even if he took Steve's body he's couldn't have brought him back to life." **

**Chris just nodded and hoped she was right. Burnside's death had hard on her. He released her and tugged her ponytail affectionately. "I'm going to bed. I just wanted to say goodnight. Get some sleep, okay?"**

"**I will." She smiled impishly as she added, "So long as you and Jill keep the volume down, that is."**

"**Brat," he growled, yanking her ponytail a little harder in retaliation.**

"**Jerk," she shot back, batting his hand away as his smile widened. "Go on, brother. Get some for both of us."**

**Chris laughed and shook his head before making a hasty retreat. He knew when he was beaten.**

**Claire went to her room and closed the door behind her. She sat heavily on the bed, exhausted both physically and emotionally. She really hadn't expected to see Leon, again. Sherry had visited over the years, and given her what information she could, but Leon didn't share his feelings for his ex-girlfriend with his adopted daughter. She had been left with only a handful of happy memories, and they were always overshadowed by that last argument they'd had. **

**She leaned back against the headboard, pulling a worn picture out a pocket on her weapons vest. She, Leon, and Sherry, taken three months after they had escaped from Raccoon City. She smiled sadly as she rubbed her thumb over Leon's image. He had been so handsome with his blond hair and crystal blue eyes. Not the bad-boy type she'd dated all through high school, but a boy scout with an angel's face. She wondered what he looked like now, and was saddened by the fact that she didn't know. Soon, she would see him and find out for herself, but it wasn't the same.**

**Damn him, they should have spent the last seven years together. They should have gotten married, adopted Sherry Birkin, and had children of their own. Instead, they lived in different states, and led separate lives. Neither had married, or had children, and they still worked jobs that were much too dangerous. They lived parallel lives that rarely intersected, and she hated it. **

**Why, she wondered as she always had, hadn't Leon understood her decision to go to France? He'd known how important finding Chris had been to her. He had supported her, helped her search for her brother. He'd even helped her by contacting Chris when they'd been trapped on Rockfort Island. Why had he balked at her actually flying to Europe in the first place?**

**Claire thought of the cruel things they had said to each other that last day and flinched. Gone was the bond they had shared, forged by their hours of adversity faced together. Her sensitive lover had simply disappeared, leaving a very angry man in his place. Leon had told her that if she went to France, he wouldn't wait for her. She'd told him that she loved him and promised to return. She had kept her promise, and so had he.**

**She'd returned to an empty apartment, her lover and her surrogate child both gone. She had torn the place apart in an angry, desperate attempt to find any trace of where they had gone, any clue that would hint at when they would return. She hadn't found any, not even a note explaining his actions. He had simply gone, and taken the only two things that made her life worth living with him.**

**He'd used the internet to set up meetings for her and Sherry, but he had always stayed away. He hadn't even given her his phone number, just an impersonal email address. He had cut her completely out of his life, and it had fucking hurt.**

**She caught herself crumpling the picture and quickly smoothed it out. It was all she had left of Leon Kennedy, and she was not going to lose it. She put it back in its place carefully and laid down. Maybe, she would be able to sleep tonight without dreams of Leon Scott Kennedy, but she doubted it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own them, too poor to be sued, love them. . .**

**(thanks, EVILJ)**

**Chapter Three**

**The plane touched down on the abandoned airstrip with barely a bump, and Leon uttered a sigh of relief. He grabbed his bags and waited impatiently by the door, ignoring the luggage's weight. The steps lowered and he climbed down them, his eyes scanning the surrounding area until he spotted the plain black sedan with government plates. No waiting around in some generic office for a rental while some kid made faces at him. Yep, working for the government had its perks.**

**Leon set his bags down and grasped the door handle, waiting for his fingerprints to be recognized. Once the door opened, he popped the trunk and put his bags in it. He climbed behind the wheel and slammed the door, pulling the key out of the ashtray. Short of breaking the bullet-proof windows, this car was better protected than most homes. Only his fingerprints would unlock any of the doors, and if someone did manage to break in, the GPS system would inform the White House, who would in turn alert the local authorities.**

**He drove straight to the hotel and checked in, allowing the bellhop to take only his regular suitcases. He handled all of the weapons himself, and set them carefully next to bed. He tipped the bellboy and locked the door behind him. He bypassed the main room of the suite and went back into the bedroom, leaving that door unlocked.**

**The first thing he did was open the weapon cases and begin to prepare himself for the hunt. He loaded his tactical weapons vest until it threatened to burst, his trusty survival knife attached to the left side of his shoulder holster by an attached sheath. He left the P.L.R.412 in the attaché case; it was too big to hide in a holster, but he wasn't taking on the Las Plagas without it. He pulled on his favorite coat, a slightly overlarge brown leather jacket with a wide sheepskin collar. Its loose style would help camouflage the vest, and it was freaking cold in New York at night.**

**He hadn't used the vest since his first—and last—day in Raccoon City. The attaché case was large, and it held a lot more. He had missed the vest in South America, though. It would have come in handy a few times, when he had been forced to leave some of his lesser weapons behind in favor of the more powerful ones he had acquired.**

**Leon sat on the bed and opened the laptop, sending an email to Bdragon1. It had his name, hotel name, room number, and nothing more. He was half surprised that Ian Nottingham hadn't been here waiting for him. But if the man was as good as he was reputed to be, he would be here in a matter of minutes, if he weren't close by already. All that was left to do was wait.**

**He plugged his cell phone into the wall to charge and went back to the computer. He might not be a hacker, but having presidential access to any American database certainly made up for that. He checked the status of the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team and smiled grimly. They were due to leave later this morning. At six o'clock, to be exact. It looked like they were all coming, even old man Burton.**

**He ignored the part of his mind that was currently screaming Claire's name in a frenzy joy and concentrated on Vorshlag Industries. He still hadn't been able to find anything more on Kenneth Irons, and it bothered him. The man looked to be in his early fifties, yet Leon couldn't find any information on him earlier than 1970. He couldn't even find the man's birth records, and he had access to every available database imaginable.**

**He also sent an email to Jake McCartey on his home computer. He explained the situation briefly and asked him not to tell his F.B.I. superiors. Then, he asked for his help, provided it wouldn't interfere with his current investigation.**

**He heard a muted click, almost to soft to be heard, and slowly drew his handgun. He aimed it at the adjoining door, his arm steady, and waited. The door opened slowly, with barely a whisper of sound, as it brushed over the plush carpeting. A large form filled the open space, and Leon recognized Ian Christian Nottingham.**

"**Bdragon1, I presume?"**

"**Yes." Ian eyed him for a long, tense moment before entering the room. "You may put the gun away, Agent Kennedy. I am no threat to you."**

**Leon grunted and lowered the pistol, but kept it in his hand. He studied the other man closely, his trained gaze taking in every nuance of Nottingham's expression. Which was completely blank, Leon thought, unsurprised. Large brown eyes, golden in the lamplight, were flat and utterly emotionless. He couldn't read the other man, and it left him uneasy.**

**The man was dressed in all black clothing, the only color coming from the heavy silver ring on his right hand. His dark hair was pulled back from his face, a close-cropped beard framing the lower portion of his face. He held his big body completely still, yet Leon could sense a strange sort of energy emanating from him. But he wasn't a B.O.W. Leon would bet his life on it.**

"**Come in," he said finally, using the gun to gesture towards the end of the bed. "Keep your hands where I can see them."**

**Ian stepped inside the doorway and stopped, keeping his gloved hands in raised before him. "We must talk, Agent Kennedy."**

"**Talk, then," Leon told him flatly. "I'm not going anywhere."**

"**Not here." He lowered his head, his dark gaze moving to the window on Leon's right. "There is someone watching us. From the roof across the street."**

**Leon turned his head in that direction and smiled slowly. He pulled his cell phone out and dialed a number. "That you, Death?"**

"_**Yeah, it's me. He's good, Leon. Damned good."**_

"**Yes, he is," Leon said, his smile fading. "Come on over, Hunk. I don't think he's going to try anything. I'd already be dead if he'd planned on killing me."**

"_**All right. I'll be right over. Keep an eye on the dragon."**_

**Leon closed the phone and looked at the other man. "You knew he was there," he said unnecessarily.**

"**Yes."**

"**Why didn't you try to take him out before you came here?"**

"**I knew there was a chance that it was your comrade," Ian answered simply.**

**Leon didn't like that the other man knew so much about him. "How do you know so much about me?" he asked frankly.**

"**I am a firm believer in being prepared, Agent Kennedy."**

**He scowled at the evasive answer, suspecting that Nottingham wouldn't reveal any more than that. "Fine," he snapped. "Sit down, Dragon. You're making me nervous."**

**A small twist of the lips that could've been a smile came and went as the dark man sat on the end of the bed. He held himself rigidly, his dark brown eyes trained on the door. His set his hands on his thighs, palms down, to show that he was indeed unarmed. Leon knew better, but he also knew that this was more for Hunk's benefit than his own.**

**The former Umbrella agent came through the door just as silently as Nottingham. He flashed an easygoing smile at Leon, but the hard look in his hazel eyes belied it. "How's tricks, Kennedy?"**

"**Same old shit, Hunk." Leon allowed himself to relax, knowing that Hunk had his back. "Meet Ian Nottingham, suspected assassin and personal bodyguard to one Kenneth Irons."**

"**Good to meet you, Dragon." Hunk walked over to the window and closed the curtains. He turned back to them, setting the rifle case in his hands on the floor beside him. "Now, why don't you tell us why we're here?"**

"**I have an. . .associate," Ian began in cultured tones, "one who has spent the last seven years tracking the movements of Umbrella Inc. When he discovered that Vorshalg had assumed their mantle, he came to me for assistance."**

"**Who is this 'associate'?" Leon asked cautiously.**

"**No one you would be familiar with," Ian answered honestly. He wasn't going to give them Billy's name until it became necessary. "He has never worked for Umbrella, Vorshlag, or S.T.A.R.S. He is something of a wild card in all of this, but he is dedicated to his cause."**

"**That isn't an answer," Hunk pointed out, his voice dangerously empty.**

"**No, it is not," he surprised them by saying. "My associate is wanted by a certain non-government agency, and wishes to retain his freedom. That is why I have come to you alone."**

**Leon nodded once. "Fair enough, Nottingham. Tell how the Las Plagas ties into this?"**

"**A sample of the parasite was stolen from you in South America six months ago. Two former Umbrella agents, Albert Wesker and Ada Wong, brought the sample here." Ian leaned forward unconsciously as he spoke. "The last five months have been spent replicating and cultivating the sample, and as of three weeks ago, human and animal testing was begun in earnest."**

"**Jesus," Leon muttered. What the hell was Ada thinking? **

"**Indeed, Agent Kennedy. At least a dozen of these. . .infected test subjects have managed to escape, despite Vorshlag's increased security measures." An expression of disgust crossed Nottingham's bold features before he could control it. "There have been several civilian murders as a result, and only two of these creatures have been caught. There are too many of them for my associate and myself to destroy by ourselves."**

**Hunk grunted at that. "I know these guys are violent, but that guy in South America was able to control them. Why can't you?"**

**Ian sighed. "Irons was not able to duplicate the staff that Saddler used to control his followers. Without it, they have proved to be unmanageable."**

"**You're not telling me that you just brought us here to clean up your boss' mess, are you?" Leon growled angrily.**

"**No, Agent Kennedy, I am not." Ian hesitated, preferring to have Billy present when he told this part of the tale. He settled for a portion of the truth. "I believe that a newer version of the T and G-virus' may have been developed, as well. Some of the subjects turned cannibal during the tests, and some unusual mutations have occurred as well. I believe that they have taken some previously infected with the Las Plagas parasite and injected them with the new virus, too."**

"**Fuck." Leon jumped to his feet and began to pace, unable to keep still as horrible images filled his mind. "Who is this associate of yours, Nottingham? Is he one of the scientists involved in all of this?"**

**Ian shook his head negatively and chose his words with care. "He was drawn into this by a rather random meeting with one of your S.T.A.R.S. members."**

"**I was never a member of S.T.A.R.S.," he snapped before he could stop himself.**

**Leon came to a halt as the information he had collected over the years provided the mystery man's identity. A former member of the Marine's Force Recon had been drawn into the nightmare when his M.P. escort had been attacked by B.O.W.s in the Arkley Mountains. Lieutenant Billy Coen had been on his way to his execution for multiple murder when the attack occurred. He had found his way to the Umbrella train, and Rebecca Chambers.**

**He could remember how the other members of S.T.A.R.S. had reacted when they discovered that Rebecca had let the man go. They had freaked out, blaming her youth and inexperience for her actions, even while announcing Coen's death to the general public. Becky had been a young, idealistic rookie when she'd met Coen. But like her teammates, she'd had a firm belief in right and wrong. Something that Coen had said or done had convinced her of his innocence, and she'd turned her back on her convictions long enough to let him slip away.**

**He met Hunk's green gaze and saw the same realization in the other man's eyes. "Coen," Hunk said simply, and he smiled.**

"**Yeah, that's what I'm thinking." Leon turned back to Nottingham, who's expression gave away nothing. "I hear that Becca's missed him, too."**

**A gleam appeared in that dark gaze, but there was no other response. "We won't turn him in," Leon assured him. "We're not cops, or even federal agents. He's safe from us."**

"**You work for the President of the United States," Ian said in a soft, deadly voice. **

"**I'm here on my own," he said in return. "This is a personal mission, unsanctioned by the White House."**

"**You arrived in a presidential jet," Ian flatly. "Your car is government issued."**

**Leon shrugged. "President Graham is grateful for his daughter's life. The car and the jet are his way of repaying me for that."**

**Hunk laughed at that. "Not bad, blondie. Having the main man in your back pocket, I mean."**

**He shook his head, smiling faintly. "If I'm going to risk my life for his family, it's the least he can do," he returned jokingly.**

**Ian drew a deep breath and stood slowly. The plan had been to bring them to he and Billy's hiding place in a few days, after S.T.A.R.S. had arrived and been convinced of his sincerity. Billy didn't want to be shot by any of Rebecca's teammates if he could help it. **

**But Ian believed that Kennedy could be trusted. He had a reputation as a tough but honest man, and his compatriot hadn't shot him outright. And they really had no choice if they were going to save their own lives and stop Father from this madness.**

"**I will take you to him," Ian announced quietly, "but I will end your lives myself if you betray us."**

**Leon nodded at once, understanding his concern. He didn't truly know them, and contacting them had been a risk. "Let me leave a note for S.T.A.R.S. and we'll go."**

"**That will not be necessary." Ian pulled his cell phone out and sent a quick text message on a timed delay to Chamber's cell phone. "We have three hours until they arrive. They will be receive the address of our location shortly thereafter. Is that acceptable?"**

**Leon hesitated, and Ian handed him the phone. He checked the message and gave it back, not bothering to ask how he had known their itinerary. "Hunk?" **

"**I'm in, pretty boy."**

"**Let's go, then."**

**Billy waited in the shadows as Nottingham returned with two men. The blond he recognized as Leon Kennedy. The other man he didn't know, but Ian wouldn't have brought him if he wasn't safe. The man was even more security conscious than _he _was, and that was saying something. He watched as Ian led them to the back of the warehouse, where blueprints and files had been spread across a large crate. **

**He drew his pistol and kept it flat against his thigh as he slowly made his way forward. He approached the lanterns that spilled light over and around the table and stopped just short of it. Until he received a signal from Nottingham, he wasn't budging. Call it self-preservation or outright paranoia, it was what had kept him alive and free for the past seven-and-a-half years.**

**Nottingham looked in his direction and lowered his head, almost bowing, the signal Billy was waiting for. He took a deep breath and stepped into the light. "Special Agent Leon Kennedy," he said in lieu of greeting. "Former member of the R.P.D. and survivor of Raccoon City." He gaze shifted to Hunk. "You I don't know."**

**Hunk's smile was cold. "They call me Death," was all he said, but it certainly made an impression.**

**Billy matched his smile, adding just a touch of arrogance to his expression. "Welcome, Death. I'm--"**

"**Billy Coen," Leon cut in quietly. "Former Marine Force Recon, convicted of the death's of twenty-three civilians in Africa, and the attempted murder of your commanding officer. Escaped from military custody July '98 in the Arkham Mountains. Presumed dead. Last known location: Tampa, Florida."**

**Dark blue eyes narrowed on his. How the hell had Kennedy known where he'd spent the summer! "You know an awful lot about me, Agent Kennedy."**

**Leon nodded, his expression somber. "I keep tabs on everyone connected with Raccoon City, Lieutenant Coen."**

"**And you never tried to turn me in?" Billy asked in a low voice. "Why?"**

**The other man shrugged. "Rebecca was once a friend. I trust her judgment."**

**Those cobalt eyes became mere slits at the quiet affection in his tone. Just how good of friends had Kennedy and Rebecca been? "Rebecca was only eighteen when she met he," he pointed out through gritted teeth. "How do you know her I didn't con her into believing me?"**

**Leon was quickly losing patience with the man, even though he recognized the jealousy for what it was. "Rebecca might be naïve, but she isn't stupid, Coen. If she trusted you, you must have given her a reason to. Can we talk about why we're here, now?"**

**Hunk's laugh broke the tension. "If he's an ally, we're really going to be in trouble when S.T.A.R.S. gets here."**

"**Don't remind me," Leon muttered. "I've been trying not to think about it."**

**Ian, who had remained silent up to this point, spoke up. "You are not on good terms with them, then?"**

**He hesitated, surprised that the assassin hadn't come up with that information on his own. "Not since my. . .relationship with Claire Redfield ended," he admitted reluctantly. **

**Billy felt himself relax at those words. "You and the red-head, huh?"**

**"Not for a long time," Leon said flatly, the subject closed.**

**Ian had assumed that Kennedy's continued surveillance of S.T.A.R.S. had been that of a friend with connections using his influence to protect those who cared about him from a geological distance. He hadn't realized that it was the only way the government agent could do so without retaliation. Contacting the others may have been a mistake--_his _mistake.**

**"I must apologize," he told the younger man somberly. "Had I known that you were not on good terms with them, I would not have contacted them."**

**"No apology needed." Leon's smile was self-deprecating. "I contacted Claire myself, Mr. Nottingham. S.T.A.R.S. would have come, regardless."**

**Ian nodded and let it go. He approached the table and found the appropriate blueprint. "This is the laboratory that Vorshlag industries is using for the experiments." He pointed to a section several stories below ground. "The subjects did extensive damage to the security system when they escaped, as well as killing most of the guards. Mr. Irons has since replaced the personnel, but the system itself is still being repaired. It is nearly done, but the subjects have returned three times to try and release their brethren. It has caused delays."**

**"The B.O.W.s tried to free the other experiments?" Leon asked sharply.**

**"Yes, they have taken to working in groups," Ian answered. "It has made it impossible for Billy and I to hunt them ourselves. The two of us simply are not enough. They also seem to be checking the facility's perimeter for weaknesses on a regular basis."**

**"I don't remember them being that smart, Kennedy," Hunk said in a neutral voice.**

**"It's got to be the Las Plagas." Leon ran a hand through his tawny hair with a sharp curse. "Saddler might have controlled the Los Ganados with them, but the parasite didn't diminish their intelligence."**

**"The new virus is different," Billy said. "It mutated the hell out them, made them more violent, but it somehow. . ._bonded _with the parasite, too. Or so he says," he added, jerking a thumb in Nottingham's direction.**

**"That was the theory as of three weeks ago, when we made our escape," Ian told them.**

**"Escape?" Leon turned to face the man fully, his blue eyes trained on darker ones. "Why did you leave your employer, Mr. Nottingham? It wasn't just because of what he's doing with the experiments, is it?"**

**"That was only a part of it." Ian dropped his gaze to the table before him, clasping his arms behind his back. His body was completely still, yet that strange energy still thrummed through him. They all felt it, and it put them on edge. "Mr. Irons volunteered me for the project. I refused. Suffice it to say, he was not pleased."**

**Billy made a rude noise. "Irons tried to kill him when he said no," Billy explained. "I knew I didn't stand a chance of stopping them if I didn't get Nottingham out of there, so I helped him escape. It took him two weeks to heal enough to help me hunt, and another week to convince him to call all of _you _because we couldn't handle it."**

**Hunk crossed his arms over his chest. "You should have called sooner."**

**"I thought it prudent to wait until I could be of use to you," was all Ian said in response.**

**"Why you?" Leon asked, silently willing the guy to look up as he found himself frowning at the top of Nottingham's head. "What makes you so damn special?"**

**The assassin only shook his head, and Billy answered for him. "He's fucking Superman, all right? He can catch bullets in his bare hands, and he's twice as fast as any B.O.W. you've ever seen. He can jump from the roof of a ten-story building and land without breaking a sweat, let alone any bones. He's badass, Kennedy. That's all you need to know."**

**Ian felt the disbelief that emanated from the blond man and sighed. He lifted his head and let that dangerous quality that made him so 'special' show in his eyes. The ability to kill without remorse, whether friend or foe, was now visible. It was a side of his forged personality that he preferred to keep hidden, but his choices were limited if he wanted to survive. He allowed that veiled energy to reverberate through the warehouse, that blackness that filled him when he had to kill. He could tell that Kennedy recognized it by the way his blue eyes widened, and his muscular body tensed almost imperceptively.**

**"The energy you sense," he began softly, "the almost kinetic intensity that you feel right now, is me. I am human, Agent Kennedy, but I am the deadliest human you will ever meet. And I am on _your _side," he added for emphasis.**

**"Shit." Hunk had drawn his sidearm without even thinking about it, unconsciously recognizing the threat the other man represented. It was now pointed at Nottingham's head. "He's a fucking B.O.W., Leon. Kill him, now."**

**"Uh-uh." Billy brought his own gun up and trained it on Hunk. "This is our party, asshole. We invited you here. So play nice or get the fuck out."**

**"Nobody kills Nottingham but me," a woman's voice called out from the darkness around the entrance. "Put your weapons down and back away from the man in black. Now."**

**Everyone but Nottingham froze at the husky, decidedly hostile female voice. He laughed softly as he turned towards that voice. "Your concern is unnecessary, my lady, though greatly appreciated."**

**A silence, and then, "You okay, Ian?"**

**"Yes, Sara, I am well. Please, come out of the shadows before you get shot."**

**Sara Pezzini snorted inelegantly as she stepped out from the cover of a particularly large shipping crate. "Like you'd let them shoot me," she threw out as she approached. Her gun was still drawn, though pointed down at the floor. Her green eyes were narrowed on Hunk, who's own weapon was pointed at _her_, and said, "Put it away, Sir, before I'm forced to disarm you."**

**Hunk laughed at that, but it wasn't a pleasant sound. "No," he said simply, his inflectionless voice making her shiver.**

**Sara circled around the others, keeping her eye on him, and stopped beside Ian. "What have you gotten yourself into this time, Nottingham?"**

**"Nothing that I cannot handle, my lady."**

**She shot him a quick glance, irritated at the antiquated term he always insisted on using. "That's not a crossbow he's holding," she felt obliged to point out.**

** "I am aware of that, Sara." Ian couldn't control the smile that played on his lips at his lady's defense of _him._ Mobius had been right when he called Sara Pezzini a tigress. "Please, put your gun away, Sara. He will not harm me."**

**"Yeah, sure thing."**

**Ian cringed at the easy tone of voice she used, the one that masked the anger Hunk's stubbornness had roused in her. Such a tone usually meant that she had reached the end of her admittedly short fuse. Sure enough, she holstered the gun and held her right arm across her chest at an angle. The Witchblade sprang to life, the gauntlet wrapping itself around her hand and lower arm, the blade extended to its full, impressive length.**

**Sara looked at the man with the gun and said, "You sure you want to do that?" she questioned archly.**

**Billy laughed as he tucked his own weapon in the waistband of his jeans. Nottingham had described the Witchblade, and its Wielder, often enough that he wasn't even surprised. "I'd do what she says, Death," he told the other man. "She's a little protective of the man."**

**"Oh, just a little." Hunk's voice was dry as he holstered his pistol. Whatever Nottingham might be, he probably wasn't a B.O.W. The woman's obviously supernatural weapon fairly screamed _that_. He'd overreacted, and he knew it. But he sure as hell wasn't going to apologize for it.**

**Ian stepped forward, just enough to feel the heat of her body, just enough for her lustrous honey-brown hair to tangle in his beard. "Your knife, Agent Kennedy?"**

**Leon just looked at him in consternation and sheathed the survival knife. "How did you know?" he asked curiously. There had been so much going on that he hadn't thought anyone had noticed.**

**"There is little that escapes me," Nottingham answered cryptically.**

**Sara just sighed and half-turned towards him. "Quit it with the mysteriouso crap and tell me what the hell happened with Irons."**

**His dark gaze dropped at the demand in her own. "Sara--"**

**"Oh no, you don't." She slid her hand under his chin and raised his **

**head, forcing him to meet her eyes. "Tell me why Irons has called me looking for you every day for the last three weeks when he was supposed to be in a coma."**

**Ian echoed her sigh and leaned into her touch. "I don't want you involved in this," he whispered unevenly. **

**Sara blinked, surprised by the fear she saw in his big tawny eyes. "You told me once that we were alike, more than any two people on this planet." He nodded, his expression vulnerable, and she said, "We're connected, Ian. What affects you affects me. So talk to me, okay?"**

**"As you wish, my lady." He lifted his head, his expression fairly screaming his reluctance. He took a step back, taking himself out of her reach. Sara looked stunned, and he couldn't blame her. He'd spent the last year popping in and out of her life, living for those moments when she allowed him to fight at her side, willing to beg for the opportunity to merely hold her hand. Now, when he needed her the most, he was terrified to ask for her help, because it might cost her _her_ life.**

**He seated himself on a nearby crate, a closed laptop next to him. "Sara, let me introduce you to the others first. Special Agent Leon Kennedy, of the Secret Service."**

**Sara looked at the blond man with the deceptively innocent face and was reminded of Gabriel. "Detective Sara Pezzini, homicide."**

**Leon looked at her hand, which was still covered by the gauntlet and sword. "You'll understand if I don't shake your hand, Detective."**

**She smiled with wry understanding and willed the Witchblade back into its bracelet form. She looked at the man who had wanted to kill Nottingham and raised one dark brow. "And you are?"**

**"Death." Hunk flashed her a surprisingly charming smile even as he ignored her outstretched hand. "But you can call me Hunk."**

**"Uh-huh." Sara slid a sidelong look at Ian, who shrugged his broad shoulders. "And the one with the tattoo?"**

**Billy watched Nottingham's head snap up and swallowed a laugh. Ian had told him of his lady's penchant for tattooed bad boys. "Billy Coen," he offered casually, stuffing his hands in his pockets to avoid shaking her hand. He had no intention of getting into a pissing contest with the Black Dragon over his woman. He enjoyed breathing way too much.**

**Sara's eyes narrowed as she recognized the name from one of the many manhunts this man had been the target of for the last seven years. He was supposed to be dead, but that hadn't kept the military from searching for him. She fought her ingrained sense of duty, the one that told her he was a fugitive in need of arrest. If Nottingham's expression was anything to go by, he'd try to stop her, and they'd both end up hurt. Besides, she wouldn't get any answers if she did that.**

**"A pleasure, boys." Sara grabbed a smaller crate and dragged to where Nottingham sat. Ignoring his surprised look, she planted her butt on it and crossed her arms over her chest. "Now, talk."**

**Ian's amber eyes took on a gleam as he looked into her upturned face. What he was thinking would probably get him punched, he thought fleetingly, although it might be worth it. Sara said his name with irritation, her beautiful emerald eyes narrowing as she frowned, and he suppressed another smile. His lady simply had that affect on him.**

**"I have missed you, Sara."**

**Sara felt a blush climbing into her cheeks and punched him lightly on the leg. "Shut up, Nottingham."**

**"But I thought that you wanted me to talk, Sara," he teased.**

**"Nottingham," she growled with warning.**

**He laughed aloud and snagged her hand in his gloved one, pressing a kiss to the smooth skin. His heart soared when she didn't pull away immediately, and he quickly withdrew, releasing her hand. He would quit while he was ahead. "You won't like what I have to say, my lady."**

**"Do I ever?" Sara shot back.**

**"Mmmm, no. I don't believe so." Ian gazed at her for a long moment, his happiness draining away. "You remember the scandal with the Umbrella corporation in Raccoon City?"**

**Sara nodded slowly, already not liking this conversation. "The viral outbreak that turned the citizens into cannibals. They nuked the place, right?" she added hopefully.**

**"Yeah, but they moved their operation here." Billy came forward, his fine features hard. "They hooked up with Irons and Vorshlag Industries. They've spent seven years researching Umbrella's work. They've spent the last few months actively producing B.O.W.s, looking for a way to control them, but they haven't had any luck."**

**"You knew about this?" she asked Ian with shock.**

**"No," he answered immediately, cringing visibly at the disappointment in her beloved eyes. "I didn't find out what Father was up to until recently."**

**"Father?" Hunk questioned sharply.**

**Leon silenced him with an abrupt gesture. "Irons raised him," was all he said, his attention returning to the assassin.**

**"But you ran Vorshlag after he, uh, that is--" she broke off with a wince, the Witchblade promptly supplying the memory of Irons impaling himself on its blade. **

**Ian looked down, sharing the vision, and the horror of it with her. "It was kept from me," he said finally. "The board of directors followed his directions to the letter and buried the project where even I couldn't find it."**

**"And what? He just came out of his coma and picked up where he'd left off?" she asked with obvious sarcasm.**

**"Yes," he said, his voice nearly inaudible.**

**Sara wasn't impressed by his palpable misery. "Why did he keep his resurrection a secret?" she demanded. "Why did he leave you in charge of Vorshlag when he was alive and well? And why the hell didn't you tell me? Why did I have to find out by getting a feakin' phone call from the guy?"**

**When he remained silent, Billy spoke up. "We were too damn busy trying to stay alive to worry about you," he snapped at her angrily. He watched Ian's eyes narrow on him and ignored it. He could be as pissed as he wanted. If he wouldn't defend himself, somebody had to. "In case you haven't guessed it by now, we're in deep shit here. Nottingham damn near died getting away from Irons. He wasn't in any shape to go running to you or anybody else. So, man up, Detective. The world does not revolve around _you_."**

**Sara jumped to feet, prepared to verbally blast the guy, when Ian uttered an animalistic growl. She glanced over her shoulder with wide green eyes as she found Ian glaring at Coen with murder in his tawny eyes. "That is enough," he said in a deep, rumbling voice. "We had an agreement, Billy."**

**"Yeah, so sue me for breaking it." Billy ambled forward, keeping a good five feet between them. Not that it would matter if the dragon went for him, but it made him feel better to have it there. "Irons has a hard-on for you, Pezzini, and he's not exactly sane. Ian's done his best to keep you out of this because he doesn't want you getting hurt. You have no idea what you've stepped in here, but yelling at your damn protector isn't going to help us keep your ass alive."**

**Hunk watched this byplay with resignation. "Oh yeah, we're not too screwed," he muttered under his breath.**

**Leon smothered a laugh as he silently agreed. "Just wait until S.T.A.R.S. gets here, Hunk. _Then_, we'll be screwed."**

**Sara turned her frown on him. "Who?"**

**"The Special Tactics And Rescue Service, formerly of Raccoon City," he replied with just a touch of bitterness. **

**"I remember reading about them somewhere," Sara said. "So, who called in the specialists?"**

**"I did," Leon and Ian said at once.**

**"They did," Billy said with a shark's smile. He saw Ian's expression and the smile became a grin. If the other man had been raised normally, he'd have flipped him off in that moment. "Hey, I just agreed. You did the actual emailing."**

**Ian found himself returning that grin against his will. He truly liked Billy Coen, foul mouth and all. "It _was_ necessary," he returned mildly. **

**"Wait a minute." Sara rubbed her temples as a headache formed beneath them. "Will somebody tell me exactly what is going on here?"**

**The four men traded looks, and the pounding in her head increased. "Nottingham," she growled, going for the wink link in the testosterone chain.**

**Ian gave them an apologetic look and promptly complied. He explained almost everything to her, starting with five weeks ago, when Irons awakened from his three-month coma. He left out the part of Father wanting to implant _him_ with a parasite to regain total control over him. He ended with his own flight and recovery, and he and Billy's decision to call the Raccoon City Survivors for help. He also mentioned that he would have to explain all of this to S.T.A.R.S. when they arrived, his voice tinged with exasperation. **

**Sara just shook her head. "Great," she muttered. "So now your boss has decided to turn me into a mindless zombie to get control of the Witchblade. Shit." **

**"I'm sorry, Sara." Ian reached out and laid a hesitant gloved hand on her slender shoulder. **

**She tensed for a moment before relaxing. She reached up and covered his gloved hand with her own. "Tell me why he tried to kill you?"**

**He gazed into her lovely jade eyes and the rest of the world faded away. He could deny her nothing. "He ordered me to volunteer for parasite insertion. I refused."**

**"Jesus. Ian. . ." Sara's voice trailed off as she mentally pounded the man who had caused all of this. She saw his golden eyes widen and knew that he was sharing the image with her. "You're not going back."**

**He smiled a little at the flat statement. It was almost an order. "No, Sara," he responded quiet desolation. "That part of my life is over."**

**She thought of how hard he had tried to rebuild his life after his father's 'death' and felt a rush of sympathy. He had been raised in almost total isolation, and Irons had been the center of his world. It had been difficult for him to adjust to living alone, without the man he had called Father. And she hadn't helped by avoiding him as she had.**

**"I'm sorry," she said finally, knowing that she couldn't avoid what was between them any longer. He was her responsibility, now. For the first time, she didn't mind the thought.**

**Ian gazed at her adoringly. "You never have to apologize to me, Sara." **

**Those big golden eyes of his never blinked, and Sara was reminded of a trained tiger, like those they kept in the circus. They only difference was that _this_ cat would never turn on her. He was hers in a way that defied explanation and scared the hell out of her. It was time to deal with that.**

**"We'll talk when this is over," she told him, the words a promise.**

**He smiled faintly, rich color climbing into his cheeks. He was blushing? she asked herself with amazement. Tall, dark, and deadly was blushing! Whoa!**

**Leon watched uncomfortably as the world's deadliest assassin gazed at Sara Pezzini like a love-struck schoolboy. He didn't know what was going on between them, and he didn't want to. He just wanted to stop Umbrella and Irons, survive seeing Claire Redfield again, and go home to his empty apartment. **

**Leon's cell phone rang, the sound loud in the silence of the warehouse. He hid a reluctant smile as they all jumped guiltily. He opened the phone and said, "Kennedy."**

**_"This is Redfield. We're on our way."_**

**He hid a wince at the animosity in Chris' voice. "We'll be waiting."**

**_"We?"_ Chris questioned suspiciously.**

**"Bdragon1 is here, too. See you soon."**

**_"Wait, Kennedy--"_**

**Leon hung up on him with a sense of satisfaction. Redfield had never liked him, and he returned the feeling in spades--now. He looked at Hunk with a nasty smile. "S.T.A.R.S. is on their way."**

**The sharpshooter matched his smile. "Damn. I was kinda hoping their plane would go down," he said idly.**

**"No such luck," Leon with a laugh.**

**Billy was torn between laughter and anger. Rebecca was on that plane, dammitt! But he had to admit, he wasn't too keen on running into the rest of Alpha Team, either. "This oughta be fun," he said to no one in particular.**

**Ian uttered a low laugh. "S.T.A.R.S. is no danger to us, my friend."**

**He thought of what Nottingham could do and grinned. "No, they aren't, are they?"**

**"What does that mean?" Sara asked, instantly suspicious.**

**"I think I'll leave the answer to that question until they arrive," Ian said carefully.**

**She glared at him for a moment before letting it go. "I hate it when you go all cryptic on me, Nottingham."**

**"I know, my lady." **

**He flashed her a surprisingly open smile as he turned back to the table, positioning himself on the opposite side of it. Billy joined him, trying not to look at the angry woman his ally was in love with. Boy, was she going to be pissed when she saw the little demonstration they had in store for S.T.A.R.S.!**

**Leon and Hunk traded a glance. Neither knew what they were talking about, but they could guess. If Nottingham really _could_ do all the things he was reported to, it was going to be an interesting couple of weeks.**

**They heard a car screech to a stop outside, and Billy melted into the shadows. Ian watched as Kennedy, Hunk, and Sara all drew their weapons and pointed them at the door. He thought of doing the same, then decided against it. It would be overkill, and he truly didn't need a gun.**

**Chris Redfield came through the door first, his own gun held before him. Leon took a chance and signaled for the others to lowered their weapons. Hunk holstered his pistol, and he did the same. Pezzini waited for a few seconds before lowering hers, although she didn't put it away. **

**Leon stepped forward, ignoring the rest of Alpha Team, his eyes on Claire's brother. Redfield's blue eyes were snapping with fire as he came to a stop before him. Leon merely waited and took the punch he'd known was coming. "Chris," he greeted cautiously from his new position on the floor.**

**"Kennedy," he returned evenly, not offering to help him up.**

**"Friend of yours?" Sara questioned archly.**

**Leon pushed himself to his feet. "How'd you guess?"**

**Sara smiled and put the gun away. "The punch was a dead giveaway."**

**Ian watched their byplay, surprised by the jealousy he _didn't_ feel. Perhaps, it was Kennedy's obvious interest the pretty young woman who was currently staring daggers at him. His dark gaze went to the new arrivals, giving them a quick survey before stopping on their leader. "Captain Redfield, if you could refrain from punching any more of my allies, I would appreciate it."**

**Chris' blue eyes narrowed on the black-clad stranger. "Ian Nottingham?" he questioned roughly.**

**Ian inclined his head regally. "The same." **

**Jill stepped up to her lover's side, her pale blue eyes taking a quick catalogue of the warehouse and all of its inhabitants. "Who else is here?" she asked in her quiet way.**

**Billy smiled to himself. Leave to the second-in-command to pick up on what the commander himself had missed. Jill Valentine was one smart cookie. He'd have to remember that. He watched Nottingham's gaze cut his way and sighed. More freakin' drama.**

**He stepped out of the shadows, his midnight eyes trained on the shortest member of Alpha Team. "Hello, Rebecca."**

**Rebecca's blue-gray eyes widened dramatically. "Billy!" she cried, rushing around everyone to throw herself into his arms.**

**Billy caught her up against him, his arms tightening as he held her close. "Becky," he murmured, his eyes closing.**

**"Damn you, I thought you were dead," Rebecca said in a voice that shook. "Where the hell have you been?"**

**He didn't answer, too caught up in the emotional onslaught Rebecca's response had triggered in him. He buried his face in her short brown hair and continued to hold her, unwilling to let her go now that he had found her again.**

"**God, I missed you," he muttered unevenly.**

**"I missed you, too," she whispered in return, and his world righted itself.**

**Ian watched them with a smile. He'd known how Coen felt about Rebecca Chambers, though he'd never come right out and said it. It was good to see his flippant, oftentimes hostile, friend like this. It gave him hope for himself.**

**Leon watched their reunion with a smile of his own. Once upon a time, when they had been friends, Rebecca had confessed her feelings for the fugitive. The rest of her comrades might not understand why she'd allowed him to escape, but he had. Had it been Claire, no force on this earth would have kept him from doing the same.**

**Speaking of. . .Leon forced himself to turn around. He ignored all the people he had once believed were his friends, his bright blue gaze zeroing in on Claire Redfield. Her red-brown hair was caught up in its usual ponytail, her unforgettable blue eyes shooting fire at him. She was wearing a S.T.A.R.S. uniform now instead of the usual biker gear, but she was still undeniably beautiful.**

**"Hello, Claire," he greeted as evenly as he could while his heart did somersaults. "It's good to see you, again."**

**Claire struggled not to lash out as her brother had at the man she had loved so passionately. "Leon," she said finally, her misty blue eyes flashing despite her best efforts. "I wish I could say the same but. . ."**

**Her voice trailed off, and he managed a casual shrug. "Shit happens. I know," he returned quietly.**

**She was shocked by his language. Before, it had been her with the dirty mouth. Just how much had he changed? she asked herself. His dark blond hair was parted in on the side instead of the middle, his frame more muscular than it had been six years ago. He was wearing black combat fatigues and a dark gray tshirt, a shoulder-holster holding what looked like a nine-millimeter pistol. There was a hardness to his angelic features that hadn't been there before, and it was echoed in his bright blue eyes. It saddened her to realize that she didn't know--might never know--what had put it there. **

**The big man with the charming smile and hard green eyes grunted at Leon's side. "Hey, Olivera," he called out. "What are doing with this chickenshit outfit?"**

**Carlos stepped forward with a big grin. "These gringos, they aren't so bad, Senor Death."**

**Hunk laughed and clasped his forearm. "Good to see you, Carlos."**

**"You too, Hunk," Carlos said in return. He nodded towards Sara. "Who's the senorita with the attitude, amigo?"**

**"No one you want to fuck with," Hunk told him seriously. "Nottingham there would dismantle you if you tried."**

**"Hey," Sara said with a frown, "don't talk about me like I'm not standing right here."**

**Carlos raised one black brow at that. "Ooh, a spirited one." He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "Carlos Olivera, Humoso Una."**

**_"Toquela ostra ves y yo le destriparte," _ Ian said in a low, deadly voice.**

**When Carlos dropped her hand and backed away from her, Sara turned to Ian with a frown. "What did you say to him, Nottingham?"**

**When he didn't answer, Leon answered for him. "'Touch her again and I'll gut you'. That's a direct quote," he added humorously.**

**She shook her head before glancing over her shoulder. "Are you going to threaten every man who shows an interest in me, Ian?"**

**"Yes," the assassin answered, crossing his arms over his chest in challenge.**

**Sara shook her head, trying desperately not to laugh. She wasn't interested in the handsome Latin man, or any other man, for that matter. Nottingham was going to be a trial all on his own, and she was actually beginning to look forward to it. Taming the dragon would be the challenge of a lifetime.**

**She looked back at Olivera and shrugged. "Seems I'm spoken for. Sorry."**

**She caught the barest hint of a smile on Ian's lips as he lowered his head. That meant that on inside, he was dancing a freakin' jig. Oh, well, it wasn't like she could've avoided the commitment, anyhow. Their relationship didn't work like that. It never had, and it was past time she acknowledged it.**

**Chris ignored their byplay, his gaze moving from that bastard Kennedy to the bastard that was now kissing Rebecca senseless. Billy Coen was a survivor, just as they were, but he had been a murderer long before the Arkham Mountains. Twenty-three innocent African villagers had died at his hands. His commanding officer had nearly died himself trying to stop him. Coen had spent time in a mental ward after that, then had been court-martialed for his crimes. Then, his M.P. escort had been attacked by those infected B.O.W.s and he had killed the two guards in his escape. He was a liability, and Rebecca should know better than this.**

**"Chambers," he called out sharply.**

**Rebecca turned to look at him but remained where she was. "He's innocent, Chris. I told you that," she said stubbornly.**

**"The proof says otherwise," Chris returned more gently.**

**Billy's arms tightened around her as he glared at Redfield. "The 'proof' is nothing but bullshit," he all but snarled. "Leave her alone."**

**"Billy!" She pulled back just enough to look up at him. "Chris is my friend. You don't have to protect me from him."**

**He gazed down at her upturned face, his features softening. "I'm sorry, Becky. I just don't want you taking any shit because of me."**

**"It's okay, Billy." She laid her head on his chest. "We'll work it out."**

**He hoped so. He looked at Ian with now-peaceful cobalt eyes. "Now what?"**

**Ian shrugged. "Roll call?" he asked with another rare flash of humor.**

**He smiled at that. "With so many people here, that's probably a good idea."**

**Ian assumed the 'at ease' stance that they all recognized as military. Head down, arms clasped behind his back, legs braced wide apart. "I am Ian Nottingham."**

**"What? That's it?" Claire asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Who the hell are you, Ian Nottingham?"**

**He sighed heavily. "Ian Christian Nottingham, formerly of the Army Rangers, the Black Dragons, and personal bodyguard to Kenneth Irons. My specialties include weapons, explosives, and unarmed combat."**

**He lifted his topaz eyes to Sara's. "Did I miss anything, my lady?"**

**Sara tilted her head to one side, hating that damned stance. "Yeah, you forgot to mention the 198 point I.Q.," she pointed out with irritation.**

**"So I did," Ian acknowledged. "In short, I am a very dangerous man."**

**"And he's on our side," Hunk inserted with a grin.**

**Ian nodded in acknowledgement of the other man's unspoken apology. **

"**And you are?" he inquired, as if he didn't already know.**

**"Claire Redfield," Claire answered shortly, her chin going up. "I'm a member of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team. My specialties are security and research."**

**Leon watched her without seeming to, sighing to himself. She hadn't changed at all, he thought with a pang. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and the fire he'd always admired in her was--as always--close to the surface. Damn her, he thought with a flash of heat, he'd missed her. And here she was, acting as though he didn't exist.**

**"Carlos Olivera," Carlos said with a mock-bow. "I used to be part of the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service. Now, I'm just a humble S.T.A.R.S. grunt.'**

**"Can it, Carlos," Jill muttered, elbowing him in the side. "I'm Jill Valentine, formerly of Delta Force. Second-in-command of Alpha Team, and a damn fine lockpicker."**

**"I'm Chris Redfield," Chris said flatly. "Leader of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team, former Air Force pilot."**

**"I'm Barry Burton," Barry said quietly. "Former S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team. Retired. I'll be feeding them intel."**

**"Rebecca Chambers," Rebecca said from the haven of Billy's arms. "Former member of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team. I'm Alpha team's resident medic."**

**A short silence followed her words as the Raccoon City survivors thought of their fallen comrades, from both the original Alpha and Bravo Teams. Hunk had no such hang-ups. "They call me Mr. Death. I used to be head of the Umbrella Special Forces Unit. I'm a just a merc, now," he added, **

**patting the desert eagle under his left arm. **

**"Not to mention, the best damn sniper in the business," Leon inserted dryly.**

**They traded grins. "That too, pretty boy."**

**Sara rolled her green eyes expressively. "I'm Sara Pezzini. NYPD Homicide Detective." She raised one honey-brown brow Nottingham. "Are we missing anyone?"**

**"A couple," Leon said. "I have two friends that may or may not show. One is here working undercover for the F.B.I.. The other is a former R.P.D. officer who's also a survivor of Raccoon City. I asked both of them to join us, but I haven't hear anything yet."**

**Ian lifted his head to stare into his eyes. "McCartey?" he asked with quiet menace.**

**Sara's head whipped around at that. "You're talking about Jake," she stated.**

**"Yes," Ian answered cautiously.**

**"How did you know he was a feeb?" she asked carefully. He shot her an eloquent look, and she smiled faintly. How could her stalker _not_ have known? **

**"Okay, stupid question," Sara admitted. "How long have you known?"**

**"From the day he showed up in your office," he told her. "How did you find out?" **

**She raised her arm and gave the Witchblade a little thump, causing him to smile. "Yeah, it opens beer bottles, too."**

**Ian winced as he pictured her popping the cap of a bottle of beer with a priceless, ancient relic. She was grinning at him, waiting for his response, and he settled for shaking his head. Sara so loved rattling his chain, he thought with a sigh.**

**"Can we get down to business?" Chris asked impatiently. "I don't mean to be rude, but we dropped everything to come here and fight Umbrella. We'd like some answers."**

**"He's right," Leon said abruptly. "We all left our lives to come here and do this thing. So, let's do it."**


	4. Chapter 4

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own them, have no money, don't sue. . .**

**Chapter Four**

**Nottingham braced himself for the attention he would once again receive as they all crowded around the makeshift table. "For several years, Vorshlag Industries has been working secretly with one Albert Wesker, formerly of Umbrella Inc. Six months ago, a sample of the Las Plagas parasite was brought to one of Vorshlag's underground complex's by one Ada Wong."**

**"Excuse me," Rebecca interrupted as she and Billy approached the crate, "but what exactly _is_ a Las Plagas?"**

**He looked to Leon, who just sighed. "It's a parasite that allows whoever controls it to control the actions of others," Leon began. "A cult leader in South America named Osmund Saddler was able to control a small country by injecting the natives with them. It made them extremely violent and wholly unable to fight Saddler's control. It also bonded with them on a cellular lever. Once the host was killed, it was able to take control of the body on its own."**

**"Just like a B.O.W.," Barry muttered.**

**"Not quite," Leon frowned. "The victims were aware of what was happening to them, but completely incapable of fighting its influence. There were some instances of mutation. It made them faster, smarter, and stronger, but they were nowhere near as hard to kill as the B.O.W.s were."**

**Chris was nodding, his arms folded across his chest. "Who's controlling the Las Plagas, now?"**

**"No one," Ian answered softly. "Vorshlag has been unable to replicate the control device that Saddler used."**

**"So now, we have uncontrollable mutations running around and killing civs," Billy inserted angrily. "They've been running around in packs for the last three weeks, and we've only managed to bag two. And it gets worse."**

**"How much worse?" Jill asked warily.**

**"They have all been injected with new versions of the T and G-virus." Ian ignored their horrified gasps. "The virus's have managed to bond with the parasite, and it has begun to create a whole new mutation."**

**"They're smarter than the ones in Raccoon City," Leon told them. "Nottingham says that they keep returning to the facility, trying to free the others, systematically checking for weaknesses in the complex's security safeguards."**

**"Son of a bitch!" Chris swore with soft vehemence. He moved around the table to where Nottingham was standing and said, "Show us."**

**Ian nodded and unfurled a set of blueprints as they all crowded around him. "This is the underground laboratory where the experiments are being run. The security system is a combination of retinal scanners and security codes. I believe that I can still get us past both, but we need another way in and out, just in case."**

**Leon groaned silently, just hoping that there were no projection puzzles in this place. Or incomprehensible symbol combinations, or statue triggered locks. . .**

**Sara started at his words. "You've gone for three weeks, Ian. Why would your information still be in the system?"**

**He met her gaze with steady golden eyes. "Why do you think, Sara?"**

**"He wouldn't!" she gasped. "Not after what happened the last time!"**

**He lowered his eyes as they shared a vision of another time. Ian Nottingham, dying in a warehouse, gunned down by the White Bulls as he bought her life with his own. A clean-shaven man in an Armani suit who bore a striking resemblance to Ian Nottingham, carrying a sheet-wrapped bundle over his shoulder. Jake is inside and he's dead. The man breaks Gabriel's neck despite Iron's protest, then the _clone_ comes for her, clearly beyond the control of his master.**

**"Jesus!" Sara reached out, her hands digging into Ian's arm through the thick fabric of his coat. "Does he remember that?"**

**Ian nodded sadly. "Yes, my lady. He simply does not care."**

**"I'll kill him," she muttered as anger flooded through her. "That's it. No more Witchblade, no Spear of Destiny, no mystical,freakin' weapons of any kind. I'm going to take my gun and shoot him in the fucking head until he stops moving. And _you_," she growled at him threateningly, "are not going to stop me."**

**He found himself unable to control a smile in the face of her fiery, goddess-like temper. "No, Sara, I will not try to stop you."**

**Claire watched them with a confused frown. "What the hell are they talking about?"**

**Billy laughed evilly. "You wouldn't believe me even I told you, honey."**

**That earned him a frown from Rebecca. "We're not rookies here, Billy. Try us."**

**He caught Nottingham's eye. "Well?"**

**"Tell them whatever you wish, Billy. They deserve to know what they may be up against."**

**"I don't like the sound of that," Hunk muttered, and Leon silently agreed with him.**

**"Clones," Sara threw at them even as she grasped the label's of Ian's coat and tugged him towards her. "Why the hell didn't you destroy them during Daddy's little coma, Nottingham?"**

**He obliged her by bending his body towards her. "I did, Sara. There were others that I was never informed of."**

**Leon groaned quietly, hoping he was wrong. "Tell me they're not clones of you, Dragon."**

**"I'm afraid so." Ian gently unpeeled Sara's hands from his coat. "They will have my abilities, but no practical experience in using them. Their thinking will be two-dimensional until they have tested themselves in battle."**

**"Yeah, on _us_," Billy added for emphasis.**

**"Shit." Hunk ran a hand through his blond hair. "We are so screwed."**

**"I can take care of any replicant Irons might send our way, Agent Kennedy. None of you will have to deal with him. Or me," he added cryptically.**

**"Yeah, that'll be my department," Billy said with a sigh.**

**"What do you mean?" Sara demanded uneasily.**

**Ian met her beloved emerald eyes. "If Irons gets ahold of me, and manages a successful implant, Billy will make sure that I do not survive."**

**'Oh, hell no, Nottingham," she said immediately. "Nobody kills your ass but me. You got that!"**

**Billy drew a deep breath as both men ignored her. "How do you want me to do it?" he asked finally.**

**"Billy," Rebecca whispered, her bluish eyes wide. "You can't be serious about this?"**

**Ian looked down at the pretty young woman and smiled briefly. "You will see why this so important shortly," he told her as gently as he could. He lifted his gaze back to Billy's, his bold features going blank. "A hollow-point bullet to the back of the head, when I'm not looking and cannot stop you. That would be the best coarse of action."**

**"And if that doesn't work?" Billy asked flatly.**

**"Then, run. As fast and as far you can." Ian reached into his bulky trench coat and handed him an automatic machine gun. "Are you ready, my friend?"**

**Billy looked down at the gun and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."**

**"Just as we practiced," Ian told him.**

**"Yeah, I've got it, Nottingham."**

**"All right." Ian walked over to the far wall, well away from the others. He ignored Sara as she called his name. All eyes were once again on him, and he once again he fought not to cringe at the attention. "Irons and Wesker have chosen me for their next test subject, which is a large part of why you're all here," he began, only to be cut off.**

**"Why do they want you?" "Chris demanded, unknowingly echoing Leon's earlier question. "What makes you so important?" **

**Perfect, Ian thought emotionlessly. "Billy?"**

**Billy Coen drew a deep breath. This little demonstration was going to scare the hell out of a lot of people. He shoved Rebecca behind him and raised the TMP. He fired, unloading the whole thirty-round clip. Nottingham twirled and flipped until the end, landing with animalistic grace before the abandoned office's wall. Billy loaded another clip and fired. They all watched with astonishment as his body did a series of lightening-fast, Matrix-like moves. They saw and heard the bullets strike the wood behind him, but he remained untouched.**

**Ian nodded and Billy lowered the now-empty weapon. He approached the crate again and opened his hands. A rainfall of spent bullets fell from his hands, hitting the makeshift table with dull sounds. He heard the collective gasps and smiled coldly.**

**"If you care to count them, you will find exactly thirty there, Captain Redfield. That is what makes me so damned important," he finished flatly.**

**_"Shit."_ Leon was the first to come forward, shaking his tawny head in awe. "No wonder you ran, Dragon."**

**Ian's smile warmed a bit. "You can see why I would not like to be implanted with a parasite that can control me, Agent Kennedy."**

**"Yeah, I can." Leon returned his smile, knowing he should be scared. Hell, he was scared; scared of Umbrella, not Nottingham. "Coen was right. You _are_ Superman."**

**The assassin blushed and looked away. "I am flattered by the comparison," he mumbled with embarrassment, only grateful that Kennedy didn't seem to see him as the freak that most people did.**

**Leon nodded vigorously. "Call me Leon, Mr. Kent." **

**At his confused look, Hunk said, "Superman's alter ego."**

**"Ah." He looked at Billy with wide amber eyes. "The geek with the glasses, yes?"**

**"Yep, that's the one." Billy laughed and tossed him the empty gun. "Don't take offense, Ian. It was a joke."**

**"I _do_ have a sense of humor," Ian reminded him as he secured the gun inside of coat.**

**Billy snorted. "That's gallows humor you have, Nottingham. Not quite the same thing."**

**Ian frowned, then tried something the other man did often. Billy, Leon, Carlos, and Hunk burst out laughing as a gloved middle finger flashed briefly. "You're learning," Billy said, slinging an arm around Rebecca's shoulders as she moved to his side.**

**"And why do I have the feeling that you are not the best of influences?" Ian asked in a murmur.**

**"Oh, I don't know-Uh, Ian?" Billy said quickly, backing away. "You're girlfriend's coming, and she looks pissed."**

**Without turning around, his arm shot out, capturing her closed fist in his gloved hand. "Sara, there is no reason for this," he told her in a reasonable tone. **

**And that only made her angrier. "Damn you, Nottingham!" She swung at him with her other hand and found herself twisted around, her arms crossed over her body. "Let me go!"**

**Ian only sighed and pulled her more firmly against him. "I was in no real danger, my lady."**

**"The dead man just shot sixty bullets at you with a TMP," she hissed in return, and Billy's eyes widened.**

**"At my request." The first threads of impatient laced his deep voice. "Sara, that was nothing. I went through much worse when I trained with the Black Dragons. How else do you think I learned those particular tricks?"**

** She frowned, and he lowered his voice so that no one else could hear. "I can count the number of friends that I have on no hands, Sara. Please, do nothing to ruin this for me."**

**Sara went still at his words. "You like him that much?" she asked in a surprised whisper.**

**He lowered his head to her ear. "Yes, my lady, I do."**

**"All right, then." She turned her head and found his lips just above hers. She brushed her lips over his and he started in shock. "Gotcha."**

**She moved out of his slackened grip with a self-satisfied smile. Getting the drop on tall, dark, and deadly had put her in a good mood. "Good news, Coen. You're gonna live."**

**"Always good to know," Billy said with a smirk. **

**Rebecca just shook her head, not sure whether to smile or not. "You have the strangest friends, Billy."**

**"You don't know the half of it," Sara told her dryly. "Wait until he meets Mobius."**

**"Sara," Ian growled warningly.**

**"Ian," she returned in a sing-song voice.**

**"Who's Mobius?" Rebecca asked curiously.**

**Sara smiled. "The dragon that got away."**

**"I thought Nottingham was the only surviving Black Dragon," Leon said with surprise.**

**Ian shook his head. "There is one more."**

**"Where is he now?" Hunk asked seriously. "If he's anything like you, we could use his help."**

**"Recovering," came the cryptic, non-responsive answer.**

**Leon's cell rang, startling everyone. He frowned down at it and flipped it open. "Kennedy, go."**

**_"Hey, Leon. It's Jake McCartey. I just got your message. Is Irons really in bed with Umbrella?" _**

**"What's left of it, yes," Leon said with a sigh. "What will your superiors say if you disappear for a few days?"**

**_"Screw 'em. I'm not too happy with them right now, anyway. Where are you?"_**

**Leon gave him the address of the abandoned warehouse. "Watch your ass for a tail, Baywatch Boy. Irons already knows you're a fed."**

**_"Do I even want to know how you know that?"_**

**Leon laughed. "Nottingham's working with us, now."**

**_"You got Pez's stalker to help you!"_ Jake asked, incredulous. _"How the hell did you manage that?"_**

**"My innate charm," Leon said with a grin. "Get your ass down here, McCartey. We need all the help we can get."**

**_"Be there in a few. Bye Bye Bye."_**

**Leon closed the phone and turned the ringer to 'vibrate'. "Asshole," he muttered with a smile. He looked at Nottingham and said, "Jake's on his way."**

**Ian's expression showed his dislike as he nodded. He would never like the young, blond federal agent who was very much in love with Sara Pezzini. He could, however, work with him to save his lady's life. "You may bring him up to speed, then."**

**Claire watched as quietly as she could as Leon interacted with the strangers. He hadn't even spoken to Jill or Barry, and he'd barely said anything to her and Chris. It was clear that he held a grudge for what happened seven years ago, and it didn't bode well for this mission. They had to work as a team, whether they liked it or not. Leon Kennedy would just have to get over himself.**

**Nottingham was opening a laptop, and Claire quickly pulled her attention back to the reason they were all here. "I stole these from Vorshlag and transferred them to my computer before Billy and I escaped," he was saying. "Mr. Irons is paranoid when it comes to security, and he taped all of the experiments Wesker and Dr. Immo ran."**

**"Who's Dr. Immo?" Chris asked.**

**"Mr. Irons' personal physician," Ian answered. "He specializes in genetic engineering."**

**"I won't bore you with the early experiments," he continued, "but I can show you the entire Las Plagas implantation process. By itself, it takes at least twenty-four hours for the parasite to bond with the host. When it is combined with either of the Umbrella virus's, however, the incubation time drops dramatically."**

**"It's more like a matter of hours," Billy inserted quietly.**

**Sara moved closer to Ian, bothered by something in his usually rich voice. "What is it?" she asked, her voice low.**

**"You'll see, my lady." **

**Ian tensed as everyone in the room crowded around behind him. He hated having anyone at his back. He felt a warm weight on the small of his back and smiled at the woman next to him. She returned it and suddenly, what they were about to watch didn't seem so bad.**

**He ran the last experiment he had been personally present for, suppressing a shudder as he pushed the memory away. He would being seeing it soon enough.**

**Leon watched as a well-built man with a blond crew cut and dark sunglasses inserted a large needle into an unconscious man's neck. He recognized Albert Wesker from the many files the federal government had on the man. Wesker backed away from the examination table to stand next to a gray-haired man in a white lab coat. Dr. Immo, he presumed. The man on the table began to thrash around, his back arching as he struggled against the metal restraints. **

**"He has already been implanted with the parasite," Ian told them in a soft, hushed voice. "The new virus is what has just been injected. This subject's reaction was much faster than any of the others. Mere minutes instead of hours."**

**Leon barely suppressed a gasp as the man broke free of the restraints and went straight for Wesker and Immo. A large figure detached itself from the shadows on the opposite side of the room. Almost to fast to see, Ian Nottingham had placed himself between the infected man and the scientists. Nottingham broke the man's neck and hurled him away. Wesker was smiling as he said spoke, and the assassin's expression showed disgust as he kept his eyes on the subject's body.**

**Then, the subject began to move, even though he shouldn't have been able to. Leon could imagine the unearthly groans now emanating from the dead man's throat as he shuffled to his feet. Nottingham drew a sword--a _sword_--from inside his voluminous black coat and lashed out. The man's head hit the floor and rolled--thankfully--out of site.**

**That's when the Las Plagas emerged from its host's neck. It grew quickly, becoming at least three feet tall. It began to circle Nottingham, and he did the same. The parasite suddenly lashed out, nearly decapitating the assassin. Nottingham did another of those fluid, gravity-defying moves before cutting the parasite off of the dead man's neck.**

**It hit the ground and sprouted _legs_, then leapt for Nottingham's face.**

**He managed to dodge it, whirling away, as it sprayed an acidic mist at him. He bounced off the nearest wall, propelling himself across the room, and drew a pistol from his coat. He emptied the clip into the rapidly moving monster before it stopped moving. Then, he reloaded and emptied the second, a look of pure hatred on his bold features.**

**The program ended, and a stunned silence followed. "That is not one of the physical mutations," Ian said in a quiet voice. "That was merely what the combined virus's are capable of doing to a live human body. The parasite can change its form as needed, and it feeds off of its victims, which I suspect is a by-product from the previous virus's."**

**Sara was watching him with horrified green eyes. "Is that what he wants to do to _you_?" she asked with horror.**

**"Yes, Sara." Ian met her gaze briefly. "That is why I ran. I have no desire to be turned into. . ._that_."**

**"Christ! Ian. . ." Her voice trailed off as she slipped her arms around him. "That-that _thing_ almost took you head off! How the hell could he do that to you?"**

**"I don't know." Ian sighed and carefully put an arm around her. "Now, you know why I have stayed away. I truly do not want you involved in this, Sara. I--"**

**"Too late, Nottingham. I'm involved." Sara blinked back tears and flashed him a cocky smile. "You're not talking me out of this, Ian. I won't let you."**

**A ghost of a smile played on briefly on his lips. "I know, my lady."**

**Claire glanced at Leon to gauge his reaction and was stunned. He looked . . .bored, she realized with surprise. It was like he'd seen it all before. "Is that what you went up against in Europe?" she asked.**

**"Basically," was all he said, already turning away.**

**Anger burned through her at the obvious dismissal. She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind when a new voice spoke from behind them. "Hey, I'm looking for Leon Kennedy, the one Backstreet Boy nobody wants to fuck with!"**

**Leon's head came up, and a genuine smile lit his crystallike blue eyes.**

"**Jake!" He strode towards the entrance and grasped the other man's hand. "Good to see you, surfer boy."**

**"You too, Leo." Jake grinned, his dimples flashing innocuously. He saw the group behind him gaping and said, "What's wrong with them?"**

**Leon smiled wickedly. "They forgot to bring their personalities with them."**

**"R.C.S.'s. huh?" At his nod, Jake said, "Cool. So, what's up with this whole Umbrella/Vorshlag thing?"**

**"Hey, Jake." Sara came into view. "Welcome to the party, rookie."**

**"Shit. My partner," Jake told him in a low voice. "What's _she_ doing here?"**

**Leon shrugged. "Nottingham, apparently." **

**Distaste crossed Jake's features briefly, then was gone. "Figures," he grumbled disgruntledly. "Time to face the music."**

**"Hey, Partner," he said, flashing an engaging smile. "What's up?"**

**Sara just laughed. "You can stow the goofy Cali surfer act, McCartey. We all know you're a feeb."**

**He traded an unreadable glance with Leon before casually stuffing his hands in his pockets. "How long have you known?" he asked finally.**

**"Does it matter?" Sara tapped the Witchblade's stone, which was currently dormant. "Madame Sara sees all, knows all."**

**Jake looked at the weird bracelet that morphed into a sword and shook his head. "Whatever, Pez. Just keep that thing away from me."**

**She grinned at that. "So, how do you know Kennedy here?"**

**"We met in California," he answered, his smile returning. "Leon was _my_ rookie when he trained with the F.B.I."**

**She frowned suddenly. "Danny's not with you, is he?"**

**Jake shook his head. "If what I hear is true, Danny's not up to this one. Besides," he added, "he has a wife and kids. Better to leave him out of it."**

**"That's what I was thinking," she said with obvious relief.**

**Jake turned back to Leon. "Bring me up to speed, bro."**

**Leon led him back to the computer. "Can you queue that up again, Dragon?"**

**Ian nodded, his dark eyes moving to Jake. "McCartey," he managed civilly.**

**"Nottingham," Jake returned evenly.**

**"There you are, Leon. I'm sure you'll understand if I decline to view it, again."**

**"Yeah, we've got it, Dragon."**

**They watched in silence, and Jake whistled at the end. "_That's_ what you went through to get Ashley Graham back?"**

**"Pretty much."**

**"Damn, bro, you got balls of steel." Jake paused before asking, "You sure about this, Leo?"**

**"They have to be stopped, Jake," was all Leon said in return.**

**"Okay, then." Jake managed a smile. "Show me what you got."**

**Leon grabbed the attachécase and set it on the table. "This is what we've managed to come with for the Las Plagas parasite," he began as everyone watched. "This is the P.L.R.412. It will destroy the parasite while it's _inside_ its, as well as after it's has taken over its host and become visible."**

**He aimed it at one of the old crates and fired. The laser fired straight through the crate and _everything_ behind it, including the wall. "You can see how this could be dangerous in close quarters. It has an attachable scope for long-distance shooting, and--"**

**"I'll take it," Hunk said immediately, adding, "Do I have to give it back?"**

**Leon chuckled. "I'm afraid so, Hunk. This is the prototype, the only one in existence. Until they produce more, I have to return this to the Defense Department."**

**"Damn." Hunk eyed the large silver gun with greedy green eyes. "Can you get me one once they're produced?"**

**"I can try," Leon said with a shrug. He handed it to the sharpshooter, along with two scopes. "The silver scope is normal. The black one is a thermal scope. Some of the creatures I ran into in South America had several parasites inside of them, and that's the only way I could take them down."**

**"Normal bullets didn't affect them?" Jill asked sharply.**

**Leon shook his head negatively. "I unloaded an entire clip in the first one and it just kept coming. I was running short on ammo, and tried the scope out of desperation. I was just lucky it worked."**

**Claire watched him with wide blue eyes as she realized that he had almost died, and she hadn't known it. "God, Leon. . ."**

**She hadn't realized she'd spoken until his head came up. He met her gaze, his own eyes flat. "It was no big deal, Claire. Nothing like Raccoon was."**

**Jake snorted at that. "You R.C.S.'s think you're so tough," he joked, punching Leon in the arm. "Try working homicide in New York, Leo. It'll make Raccoon City seem like a college protest."**

**Leon laughed and it broke tension. "No thanks," he said wryly. "I see enough dead bodies following the first daughter around."**

**"What's a R.C.S.?" Carlos asked.**

**"Raccoon City Survivor, man." Jake clapped Leon on the shoulder. "It took Jordan here almost a year to develop a personality after all that crap. You guys are behind."**

**Leon hid a smile at the frowns that all of the S.T.A.R.S. members were now wearing. "Call me Jordan again and I'll use my new toy to burn of something important, _dude_."**

**Jake chuckled, his dimples flashing again. "Tired of the Backstreet Boy jokes, huh?"**

**"Gee, how'd you guess, McCartey?"**

**"Probably cause I still get the Bill and Ted jokes."**

**Leon winced at that. "Damn, these New Yorkers are harsh."**

**"He'll live," Sara said in a dry voice. "Back to the board, guys. I'd like to get this over with and get back to my life."**

**As they all surrounded the crate and surveyed the blueprints, Billy took a moment to study the S.T.A.R.S. members. He knew that they were all battle-hardened. Rebecca, Burton, Chris Redfield, and Jill Valentine had all survived the Spencer Mansion together. Both Redfields had survived Rockfort Island and Antarctica together. Olivera and Kennedy had the least experience when it came to Umbrella, yet both had contributed to the cause in their own way. Olivera had turned on the company he had once served and joined S.T.A.R.S., and Kennedy had gone even deeper into the part of law enforcement that bordered on Black Ops.**

**As for Hunk, no one knew a damn thing about him. His past was even more classified than Nottingham's, and that saying something. How someone like him became friends with a straight arrow like Leon Kennedy was a mystery he couldn't care less about. The man who called himself Mr. Death was on their side, and _that_ was all he cared about. And who knew, a sniper might even come in handy. They could use all the firepower they could get.**

**Rebecca shot him a smile that was both warm and shy from her place at his side, and he gave into the impulse to pull her closer to him. Chris Redfield gave him an actively hostile look, and he smirked arrogantly in return. He didn't give a damn what her teammates thought of him, so long as Becky didn't share their opinion. **

**He saw the dog tags that hung from her slender neck and smiled. He reached out and gave them a flick. Her hand came up to halt them in an automatic gesture, and he knew that she rarely--if ever--took them off. "I'm glad you kept them," he murmured directly into her ear.**

**"I'm glad you didn't forget me," Rebecca returned as softly as she was able.**

**"Impossible, sweetheart." Billy curled his hand around hers and wished like hell that they were alone. "You ready to kick some ass together, little girl?"**

**Rebecca smothered a laugh as she remembered the first time he'd called her that, as well as her indignant reaction. "I'm ready to kick _your_ ass if necessary, Lieutenant Coen."**

**Carlos chuckled, unable to stop himself. "Ah, such romance," he said on a dramatic sigh.**

**Rebecca blushed but held her ground. "Shut up, Carlos."**

**Leon smiled a little even as another part of him he wished he were anywhere but here. "We should spit into two groups," he said into the quiet. "One to hunt the B.O.W.s that have already escaped, and one to infiltrate the Vorshlag complex."**

**"No," Chris stated flatly. "S.T.A.R.S. is a team. We stay together and we leave no one behind."**

**Jill stirred at his side. "It's a sound plan, Chris," she told him in her calm way. "We're a rather large group, now. It will be hard to break into the facility with this many people."**

**"And the escaped subjects must terminated as soon as possible," Ian said urgently. "There have already been multiple deaths, and eventually someone will recognize that it is not the work of wild animals."**

**"Vick's already figured that one out," Jake said huskily. "She's our precinct M.E., and she says that the victim's wounds look _human_, except for the unusually large bite radius."**

**Sara nodded. "Dante's been busy cleaning up after Irons, though. Vick's barely had time measure the wounds before they disappear on the good Captain's orders." Sarcasm laced her voice as she spoke. "The family's demands, my ass."**

**"Then, it's time we got started. Is this your H.Q.?" Barry asked Ian.**

**"No, this is merely where we have managed to hide for the last three days," Ian said. **

**Billy nodded his dark head. "Yeah, the B.O.W.s haven't managed to find us, yet."**

**"But they will," Ian told them all in warning. "It's only a matter of time until they track us here."**

**"Did you have another place in mind?" Chris asked with a slight frown.**

**"Another warehouse." Ian slanted a glance at Sara as he spoke. "The one that Mobius was using before our confrontation."**

**Her green eyes flickered at the reminder of his death, and how the Witchblade had allowed her to heal him. "It's a lot smaller than this one," she said.**

**"I know, Sara, but we are running out of options." He looked back at Barry with a somber expression. "I don't know if I can provide a permanent base of operations, Mr. Burton. A mobile base may be better, in light of the circumstances. A van, perhaps?"**

**"There are too many of us," Barry said, his red-gold brows meeting as he frowned. "We'd need two, and I can't since I can't be in two places at once, I don't see the point."**

**"I know someone who can help," Sara said suddenly.**

**"Sara, he's a child," Ian all but growled.**

**"Gabriel's twenty-three, and he's almost as good at hacking as you are."**

**"We don't necessarily need a hacker," Jill inserted.**

**"No, but we could sure use another person for relaying info." Sara flipped open her cell phone, pausing at the worried expression on her protector's handsome features. "He can feed us info from Talismaniac, Ian. He doesn't ever have to leave home, and Burton would be safe there."**

**"They'll have to use a scrambler, then." Ian nodded once, approving of her decision. "Call him, and warn him of the danger. If he still wants to help, we will accept him."**

**He looked up swiftly and pinned Chris with his dark stare. "Is that acceptable, Captain Redfield?"**

**Chris looked at Sara questioningly. "Can he be trusted, Detective Pezzini?"**

**"It's Sara, and yeah, I'd trust him with my life."**

**"Okay, then." Chris smiled grimly at Barry. "Looks like you've got back up, old man."**

**Barry shrugged his bear-like shoulders. "I'll take it, Chris. This is _Wesker_ we're talking about, after all."**

**Sara turned away to make her call, and Leon felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He checked the caller I.D. and quickly excused himself. He walked a few feet away and answered. "Kennedy, here."**

**"_Hey, Leon, it's Kevin. Are you in New York, yet?"_**

**"Yeah," he answered. "What about you?"**

**_"Just got to the airport and thought I'd make sure I was headed to the right state. Are you sure that Vorshlag's doing genetic experiments?"_**

**"Yeah, I am," Leon confirmed heavily. "They're also fucking with the Las Plagas. It's not going to be pretty, Kevin."**

**_"It never is, where Umbrella is concerned. Tell me a little more while I wait in this long-ass line for my ticket to the Big Apple."_**

**"Albert Wesker is in bed with Kenneth Irons. Ada's here somewhere, too. She brought the Las Plagas sample to Wesker, and he brought it to Vorshlag."**

**Kevin laughed at that._ "What is it with you and dangerous women, Rookie?"_**

**Leon glanced over his shoulder, his gaze lingering on Claire. "I don't know, Kev. It's bad enough that Claire is here with S.T.A.R.S.. I don't relish the idea of running into Ada, too."**

**_"I don't envy you, Rookie. Claire's got a temper on her that doesn't quit."_**

**"Well, we've been in the same room for an hour and she hasn't tried to shoot me, yet," Leon joked, adding, "Chris punched me when he saw me, though."**

**_"Now, there's a shock,"_ Kevin drawled facetiously. _"Are we talking zombies here, or crazed, parasite infected New Yorkers, or what?"_**

**"They've managed to combine the G and T-virus with the Las Plagas parasite. I've only seen a small bit of video, but it looks pretty damned bad."**

**_"Hey, we're survivors for a reason, right? This'll be cake, Rookie, and you can buy the drinks afterwards."_**

**"If we survive, I'll let you bring your dartboard over to my place and get you drunk myself," Leon told him. "I'll even let you lose money to me."**

**Kevin laughed again. He was notorious for losing large amounts of money while betting on his favorite pastime._ "I'll hold you to that, Leon. Damn, this line is starting to move. I'd better let you go. Tell me where you're staying, and I'll meet you there."_**

**"I'm at the Wiltshire," Leon said. "Call me when you get into town, and I'll meet you in the hotel lobby."**

**_"You got it. Later, Rookie."_**

**Leon closed the phone, already feeling better about the situation. If they survived this, he was going to give Kevin the biggest hangover he'd ever had in thanks. He went back to the others, tucking the phone in his pocket.**

**"We've got another one." **

**"Ryman's coming?" Hunk asked with a sigh.**

**Leon nodded, wishing that Hunk didn't dislike Kevin so much. Yes, he was a pain in the ass, but he was a _good_ pain in the ass. He was a friend, and Hunk knew how much that meant to the loner that Leon had become. "He's going to call when he hit's the airport. I'll meet him at the hotel and take him to wherever we are."**

**Hunk just shrugged. "We could probably use the help," was all he said.**

**"Ryman?" Chris questioned. "As in, Keving Ryman?"**

**"Yeah, he's a friend," Leon replied cautiously. "Is his presence going to be a problem?"**

**Chris smiled faintly. "No, I always liked the jerk."**

**"You would," Claire said, tossing her head. "I always thought he was obnoxious. And a horrible dart player."**

**"Yes, but he was a damn fine shot," Jill reminded them with a smile.**

**"Is he the one that used to be a cop?" Carlos asked curiously.**

**Leon smiled. "One of Raccoon City's finest."**

**Jake was just shaking his head. "Just tell me that this one has a personality, Leo."**

**"And then some," Leon told him dryly.**

**Barry laughed deeply. "The little shit was always trying to outdo Chris and Forest in the shooting competitions. Always came in third."**

**"He was too reckless," Chris said with a shrug, but his blue eyes were glinting with amusement. "If he'd been more responsible, he'd have made it into S.T.A.R.S."**

**Billy looked down at Rebecca, who was smiling as she listened. "What about you, sweetheart?" he asked. "Any fond memories of Kevin the cop?"**

**Rebecca shook her head negatively. "He used to lean over my desk and look down my blouse when he visited the office."**

**Coen frowned, and Claire had to laugh. "He did it to Jill, too. If he hadn't been so scared of Chris, I'm sure I would have been next in line."**

**Leon couldn't contain a snort at that. "Sorry, Claire, you were definitely not his type."**

**"Why not?" she demanded.**

**"He likes his balls where they are," he stated humorously. **

**Misty blue eyes narrowed dangerously on his. "It didn't seem to bother you too much."**

**Leon stiffened at the painful jibe. "Kevin was just a little smarter than I was," he spat in retaliation. **

**She lunged for him. "You son of a b--"**

**"Claire, that's enough." Chris put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. "You aren't helping the situation. Neither are you," he said, his gaze meeting Leon's.**

**Leon let out a harsh breath. He knew better than to lose his objectivity. "You're right, Chris," he acknowledged in a quiet voice. "It won't happen, again."**

**Chris nodded and began to go through the files. "Where have the B.O.W.s been hunting?"**

**"They've taken to stalking their prey at night, in the parks, in the alleyways. . ." Ian pulled a large city map out from under the pile. "The red marks show single victims, the blue are multiple crime scenes."**

**"And the two black ones?" Leon asked he bent over the map.**

**"Those are the two bios we actually managed to kill." He said apologetically, as though he and Coen should have been enough. "They had each wandered away from their packs. Otherwise, we would not have been able to take them."**

**"We were damn lucky with that last one," Billy said with a snort. "It had already mutated, and it damn near took us both out."**

**"It wasn't chanting, "S.T.A.R.S.", was it?" Carlos asked, his tone very dry.**

**Billy looked up with surprise. "No, why?"**

**Jill elbowed him again, and he grinned. "Just checking." **


	5. Chapter 5

-1**Disclaimer:I own none of the characters in the work below. If I did. . . nevermind, you don't want to know.**

**Synopsis: Set six months after the Las Plagas incident, our favorite RE characters crossover with a few (hopefully) familiar TV characters. Rated 'T' for bad language and stupid humor. Borders on AU.**

**Resident Evil: A Crossover**

**Chapter Five**

**Claire sat in the back of the van, where all of the seats had been removed. She braced her feet on the opposite side of it, her hand on the magnum at her hip. Jill sat to one side of her feet, Sara on the other. They were talking, sharing war stories, so to speak. They seemed to be getting along pretty well, which surprised Claire. Jill was normally so reserved when meeting someone new. Sara had starting talking about the supernatural weapon she wore on her wrist, and Jill had been fascinated.**

**They had dropped Barry off at Gabriel Bowman's shop, Talismaniac, after going inside to meet the guy. He'd been cute, she thought with a grin, all baby-brown eyes and tousled dark curls. He'd called Sara, "Chief", and she'd messed with his hair like an older sister. He might be young, but he knew what he was doing. He and Barry were going to get along fine.**

**The former U.S.F.U. agent, Hunk, was up front with the assassin, Nottingham. Claire wasn't sure how she felt about having the mercenary with them, but Leon seemed to trust him implicitly. Leon himself was going to meet them outside the city limits, after he picked up Kevin Ryman from the lobby of his hotel. Chris, Carlos, Jake, Billy, and Rebecca had all piled into Leon's plush government sedan. They hadn't wanted to leave too big a group waiting outside of the Vorshlag complex. As soon as Leon returned, they would go inside the secret laboratory, and Jill would take the others to hunt the escaped B.O.W.s. They would meet back at the warehouse, providing it hadn't been compromised.**

**Claire rested her head against the side of the van, ignoring the vibrations the moving vehicle sent through her skull. She thought of what she and Leon had said to each other earlier and winced. She still couldn't believe that she had dragged their past relationship out in front of everyone like that. And Leon had surprised her by snapping back the way that he had. She had been right when she'd thought that he was still pissed about the way their relationship ended. He had a lot of anger buried behind those oh-so-blue eyes, maybe even more than she did. **

**Which was funny, she thought, since he had been the one to go. She had honestly believed that he hadn't really cared for her; after all, he'd had no problem packing up and leaving while she was gone. Now, she knew better. She didn't know if was just the bond of two people who had shared a life-threatening experience or not. But maybe--just maybe--he had meant it when he said that he loved her. **

**She sighed and closed her eyes. Seven years was a long time to carry that kind rage around. Leon had once been so easygoing, perfectly willing to let her lead in whatever they did. He was different now. _He_ was now the leader, and he didn't bother to try and hide it. He was only deferring to Nottingham because this was the assassin's territory. Once they hit the underground complex, she had a feeling that things were going to change.**

**Nottingham might be some kind of super-soldier, but it was obvious that he wasn't a leader. Chris had a temper that wouldn't quit, a trait they had both inherited from their mother. As much as Claire hated to admit it, Leon's very presence might well color her brother's judgment. Leon had always been mild-tempered, though she suspected that had more to do with self-control than actual temperament. Claire only hoped that Leon wouldn't be too stubborn to take Chris' opinion into account. Otherwise, there were going to be major problems.**

**"Claire?"**

**She felt a brief touch on her shin and opened her eyes. "Yeah?"**

**Jill's classic features showed concern as she asked, "Are you all right?"**

**Claire dredged up a crooked smile for the classy lady her brother loved to distraction. "I'm fine." At the older woman's doubtful look, she said, "Really, Jill. I'm dealing, okay?"**

**Jill nodded slowly, her dark blond hair falling forward to obscure one light blue eye. "Don't let your temper get the best of you," she said in her quiet way. **

**"I won't, Jill." Claire gripped her gun more tightly and attempted to lighten the mood. "I might _want_ to shoot Leon, but I can hold myself back."**

**She caught Hunk looking at her with narrowed eyes and raised her eyebrows. "Problem, Death?" she questioned archly.**

**Hunk considered shooting her, he really did. But Leon wouldn't like it, no matter what she'd done to him. "No problem, Redfield."**

**"Good." Claire released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as he turned away. Damn, but he had looked pissed. What the hell had Leon told his friends about their breakup?**

**"Kennedy's the dreaded ex, huh?" Sara asked wryly.**

**Claire smiled. "Our little spat didn't give us away, did it?"**

**"Nah. I am a trained detective, you know." Sara smiled at the girl with the fiery temper. "What he do to you, anyway?"**

**Her smile faded away at the memory. "He waited until I was in another country to leave me. He took our kid with him."**

**One brown brow soared upwards. "And he's still alive because. . .?"**

**Claire couldn't help but laugh, grateful that other woman was treating this lightly. "Sherry loves him. I couldn't kill him after all she's been through."**

**"Mmmmm." Sara stretched her legs one at a time before settling back against the van. "How old is she?"**

**"Nineteen. She just started college." At Sara's surprised expression, she explained, "Her parents died in Raccoon City. She escaped with Leon and I. She doesn't have any family, so to speak, and we both fell in love with her."**

**Sara just smiled, her imagination supplying her with visions of little black-clad Nottinghams. "I've never really thought about having children," she mused, then grinned. "But Nottingham would make gorgeous kids, don't you think?"**

**"Sara!" **

**Even in the van's darkened interior, Claire could tell that the assassin was blushing. "Yeah," she agreed as she took in the big brown eyes and the dark curls that were currently spiraling around his swarthy face, "he'd make beautiful babies."**

**He hunched his shoulders and turned his eyes back on the road, and Jill smothered a laugh. "Has he always been this shy?"**

**Sara nodded, her expression gentling as she looked at his back. "Yeah, it's one his more endearing traits." **

**She had no intention of telling them how he had been raised, and how hard it had been for him to reach out to her. Her reaction to Ian's declarations of love was hardly something she wanted them to know about. They wouldn't understand why she had treated him so badly. It was weird what fear could do to you, and make you do to others.**

**"What about you, Jill?" Claire asked. "When are you going to make an honest man out of my brother?"**

**Jill merely smiled serenely. "When we're ready, we'll know, Claire."**

**"I want a niece or nephew," Claire told her sternly. "So, get on it already."**

**The other woman shook her head and adjusted her beret. "We _are_ practicing quite a bit," she commented idly.**

**Claire shuddered. "Ugh! Way too much information!" **

**Jill laughed aloud. "Your brother and I aren't ready to get married, Claire. Let's just leave it at that."**

**"You got it," she said with relief.**

**The van slowed before coming to a stop. "We are here," Ian said in a hushed voice. "We will wait until Leon arrives to leave the van. I don't want to take any chances with the security dogs."**

**Claire and Jill traded an alarmed look. "They're just regular dogs, right?"**

**"As of three weeks ago," came the not-so-comforting answer.**

**"Shit."**

**Leon strode quickly into the hotel lobby, hoping it was still safe here. He headed straight to the bar, knowing where he'd find Kevin. He wasn't disappointed. The older man was sitting at the bar, chatting up a pretty blond and trying to talk her elderly husband into a game of darts. A beer was in his hands, and an empty bottle on the bar before him. He hadn't drunk nearly enough to incapacitate him, for which Leon was eternally grateful. The guy could drink him and anybody else under the table. He said it was a gift.**

**Kevin looked up, his sienna eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. "Excuse me," he said to the couple, winking at the wife.**

**Leon just laughed as they clapped each other on the back. "Good to see you, my man."**

**"You too, Rookie." Kevin tilted the bottle to his lips and chugged the remainder of his beer. He set it on the counter with a loud bang and snagged an arm around Leon's shoulders. "Come on, kid. Let's go kill something."**

**Leon just laughed and pulled away. "My car's outside."**

**"So, how have you been?" Kevin asked as they left the building.**

**"Same as always," Leon said with a shrug.**

**"Still not getting any, huh?" Kevin grinned at his friend's dirty look. "It's been nearly six months, Leon. You should give it another try. It would relax the hell out of you."**

**Leon sighed. "Chris is in the car, Kevin. I'd appreciate if you didn't discuss my lack of sex life in front of him, okay?"**

**Kevin nodded, his rich brown hair falling into his face. "Is Claire here, too?" he asked, momentarily serious.**

**"No, she's waiting outside the lab with the second team." They approached the car, and Leon halted him. "Rebecca's here. Coen's with her, and he's very protective. Don't turn the charm on full, Kevin. He just might shoot you for it."**

**"I thought Coen died in the Arkley Mansion," Kevin said with surprise. "You don't mean to tell me that sweet, innocent little Rebecca Chambers lied to set an accused murderer free, do you?"**

**"Yeah, she did, Kevin. And she was right to do it," Leon told him. "I've checked into his story, and it sent red flags up all over the place. I was warned to forget about Coen--for my health."**

**"Well, hell," Kevin said, blinking. "I guess I'll just have to be nice to the guy. Six years is a long time to be on the run."**

**"Yes, it is," Leon said quietly. He felt as though that is what he had done when the government had blackmailed him into their service. To this day, he didn't know why they had wanted him, only that they had, and he couldn't fight them.**

**"Come on," he said abruptly, pushing the memories away. He climbed behind the wheel and closed the door. He started the engine as Kevin climbed in the other side next to Jake.**

**Jake moved over slightly and awkwardly shook his hand. "Jake McCarty."**

**"Kevin Ryman," he returned easily. **

**Kevin turned sideways in his seat, grinning at Chris. "How're you doing, Redfield?"**

**"Good, Kevin." Chris shook his hand with a smile. "How about you?"**

**"I'm still a cop. I work in D.C., now. It's cold as hell there, but hey, no zombies," he added with a laugh. He included Rebecca and mean-looking guy beside her in his smile. "How about you, honey? You doing all right?"**

**"I'm good," Rebecca answered, her voice soft. "This is. . .a friend of mine. Billy, meet Kevin Ryman."**

**"A pleasure," Kevin told him, trying to sound sincere.**

**Billy's dark blue eyes narrowed on him ever so slightly. "Same here," he muttered reluctantly.**

**Rebecca gestured to the Latin man sitting on the other side of Chris. "That's Carlos Olivera."**

**Carlos nodded. "Nice to meet you, amigo." **

**"Likewise." Kevin shot Leon a gleeful look. "I caught the awards ceremony, Rookie. I even taped it for you."**

**Leon groaned. "God, I'd hoped nobody would see that."**

**"Hey, it's not everyday one of my friends gets a medal for rescuing the President's daughter," Kevin told him haughtily. "That was a real nice suit, by the way. You looked like a gangster."**

**"Shit." Leon glared at him before turning his gaze back to the road. "Remind me, Kevin: Why I did I call you?"**

**"Because Hunk doesn't have my winning personality?" Kevin guessed facetiously.**

**Leon smiled maliciously. "He's here too, Kev. I'd watch it, if I were you."**

**"Oh, you so owe me for this." Kevin ran a hand through his longish hair. "He's not going to try to shoot me this time, is he?"**

**"Only if you piss him off," Leon told him humorously.**

**Kevin snorted. "It's not my fault he has no sense of humor."**

**Leon laughed at that. "No, but it is your fault that you waited until he was asleep to disassemble his Desert Eagle."**

**"I've always wanted one of those," Kevin returned with a mock sigh. "And I _did_ put it back together, Leon."**

**"Not before he caught you doing it," Leon pointed out.**

**"True." Kevin popped open the glove compartment and his grin resurfaced. "Oh, yeah, baby."**

**He took out the Magnum and checked the chamber. "Nice, Rookie."**

**"I knew they wouldn't let you on the plane with yours."**

**"Yeah. I really miss her, too."**

**Leon's eyebrows shot up at that. "You know, Kevin, there might be a reason you're still single."**

**"Screw you, kid." Kevin pulled the extra rounds of ammunition out of the glove compartment, shoved them inside his leather jacket, and closed the little door. "Much better. It's weird to think that we once walked around unarmed, isn't it?"**

**"Yeah," Leon agreed in a low voice, "it is."**

**"R.C.S. syndrome?" Jake questioned, his voice dry.**

**Kevin only smiled, not insulted in the least. "You know it."**

**Leon's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "There's a laptop under the seat," he told the other man. "Click on My Videos, and check it out. It'll show you what we're probably going to be up against."**

**"Cool." Kevin pulled the laptop onto his knees, raised the screen, and ran the program. He watched in silence, grateful that the footage didn't have any audio. When it was it over, he closed the laptop and put it back.**

**"What came out of its head?" he asked at length.**

**"One of the Las Plagas parasites," Leon answered shortly.**

**"Fuck." Kevin dropped his head back against the seat and stared out the window. "Who's the guy with the sword?" he asked curiously. "You don't see that every day."**

**"Ian Nottingham," Jake promptly supplied. "He used to be Kenneth Irons' head of security. He was an Army Ranger, and he used to be part of a Black Ops project called the Black Dragons. They used drug therapies, psychotropic drugs,and there were even rumors of genetic engineering. They were trying to make the perfect soldier."**

**"We don't have to go through him, right?" Kevin asked quickly.**

**"No," Billy said from the back seat. "Nottingham's with us."**

**"Thank God," Kevin said with feeling. "So, the creepy-crawly was what you rescued Graham's daughter from?"**

**"More or less," Leon sighed. **

**"I'm almost impressed, Rookie."**

**"At least, I didn't have to run from giant, mutated elephants," he shot back with a grin.**

**Kevin winced. "Ouch, Leon. That hurt."**

**He snorted at that. "You'll live, old man."**

**"Excuse me." Kevin reached past Jake and smacked him lightly in the back of the head. "Asshole."**

**"Moron," Leon muttered back, rubbing the spot. "Hitting the driver may be hazardous to your health, Ryman."**

**Kevin laughed evilly. "At least, I won't go down alone."**

**Carlos laughed at them both. "Si, Senor McCartey, this one has plenty of personality."**

**Jake grinned over his shoulder at him. "And then some."**

**Chris was shaking his head at their antics, but he didn't say anything. They knew all too well how serious this situation really was, and this was their way of dealing with it. And it was good to see Leon like this. As angry as he was at the younger man for hurting his sister, he _had_ considered him a friend once. He hadn't liked seeing Leon so closed off. The boy who had gone through hell hadn't come out unscathed.**

**He wondered just what had happened to Leon to make him so cold. He'd always been a quiet guy, but really good-natured. His whole 'shirt-off-my-back, save-the-world' mentality had driven them all crazy, but it had defined who Leon Kennedy was. Now it was gone, and Chris wanted to know why.**

**They pulled up to the designated spot and Leon killed the engine. The van was parked a few feet away, its dark color blending with the night around it. He grabbed his attaché case and strapped it crosswise over his back. He got out of the car, closed the door, and leaned against it. He wasn't looking forward to this, and he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.**

**Kevin rounded the car and slouched against it, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He lit one and handed to pack to Leon, who looked at it for a long moment before taking one. He pulled out his trusty gold lighter and lit the cigarette. As he put the lighter away, he wondered why he'd kept the damned thing. It wasn't liked he'd smoked back in the day, and the person who'd given it to him was long dead.**

**Billy saw them smoking and his eyes lit up. "I'll be right back," he told Rebecca before making a beeline towards them. He lit his own smoke and said, "Thank God. I thought I was the only smoker in the bunch."**

**Kevin shook his head, a smile playing on his thin lips. "Hell no, man." He jerked his thumb in Leon's direction. "He's a closet smoker, though."**

**"Not anymore," Billy said with a smirk. "S.T.A.R.S. probably isn't gonna like it, either."**

**"Fuck 'em," Leon said succinctly.**

**Billy smothered a laugh at that. "I thought Redfield used to smoke?" he questioned.**

**"Yeah, he did," Kevin confirmed. "Jill's probably made him quit by now."**

**"Nah," Chris said as he joined them, a cigarette between his fingers. "She hasn't nagged me enough, yet."**

**"That _can_ be arranged, Redfield," Jill said with one eyebrow raised.**

**Chris shot her a grin. "You've got to marry me first, Valentine."**

**"I'll think about," she said as she turned away.**

**He stared after her, a slow smile spreading across his face, and Leon couldn't help but smile himself. Even in the deepest throes of his love for Claire, he'd recognized Chris' feelings for Jill. He wondered when Chris had finally worked up the courage to tell her how he felt? **

**Leon knew that Jill had lost a boyfriend in Raccoon City; he'd seen the picture on her desk in the S.T.A.R.S. office in the R.P.D., and it hadn't been Chris Redfield. She hadn't mentioned the man, and Leon had never asked. He'd had his own demons.**

**He'd been late for his first day on the job because his girlfriend at the time had chosen that day to break up with him. If she hadn't, he would have been caught in the first surge of the G-virus outbreak, and he probably would have died with his fellow officers. It still bothered him that being dumped had saved his life, especially since he knew that Elza hadn't survived.**

**Elza Walker had been his girlfriend all through high school, and his best friend before that. After graduation, she'd enrolled in Raccoon City College, and he had gone into the police academy. Things had become strained between them after that. Elza hadn't liked that he would be risking his life on a daily basis as a cop, and she had done her best to talk him out of it. Six months later, she'd broken up with him, and died with the rest of Raccoon City.**

**Leon sighed and shook himself out of his reverie. He wasn't the only one who'd lost family and friends to Umbrella. Most of the people here had had their lives shattered by the pharmaceutical giant. It was the reason that they still fought, despite the horrors they had witnessed so long ago, and the nightmares they had been left with.**

**"You okay, Leo?"**

**He looked up to find Jake watching him with concern. "I'm fine," he said abruptly, shoving the lighter in his pocket. "Is the Dragon ready to go in?"**

**"Dragon?" Jake snorted at that, his dislike for the assassin obvious. "Nottingham's been watching the place through a rifle scope, talking shop with Hunk. You've got weird friends, Leo. Real weird."**

**Leon managed a smile. "And Pezzini's gauntlet is normal?" he questioned lightly, well aware of the people around them.**

**Jake shook his tawny head. "Don't even ask me about that, dude. I don't know shit about the Witchblade, and I don't want to. That's Sara's thing, not mine."**

**"And killing is Hunk's thing, not mine." Leon shrugged, took a long drag, and crushed the cigarette beneath his boot heel. "We all do what we feel we have to, Jake. It's all a matter of perspective."**

**"Well, his perspective sucks," Jake said flatly.**

**"Which is why you're going after the escaped B.O.W.s, and Hunk's staying with us," he returned, his voice neutral. He liked Jake McCartey, but they looked at the world in very different ways. **

**Kevin laughed, but it wasn't a pleasant sound. "Anyone stupid enough to work for Umbrella deserves what they get."**

**Chris was frowning as he put out his own cigarette. "We'll all have to kill tonight, Agent McCartey, whether we like it or not. Umbrella's given us no choice in the matter."**

**Billy drew his .9 millimeter and clicked the safety off. "My thoughts exactly," he stated, smirking at the other man's look of surprise. "I've spent eight years running from the law, and working against Umbrella Inc. I've learned the importance of self-preservation."**

**"I looked into that," Leon mentioned casually.**

**Billy's cobalt eyes narrowed on his own. "And?" he questioned shortly.**

**"Your mission is classified, and I'm fond of my health," Leon said simply.**

**"Yeah," Billy said bitterly, "I thought it might be something like that."**

**"Don't you worry," Kevin exclaimed, clamping a hand down on Leon's shoulder, "the Rookie here will take care of everything. Right, kid?"**

**Leon shot him an exasperated look and shrugged him off. "I'll see what I can do, Kevin, but I've got Sherry to think about."**

**"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris asked sharply.**

**He schooled his features to blandness. "Just what I said, Chris." **

**The other man's navy eyes narrowed at the uncommunicative answer. "So, is he innocent?" he asked, ignoring Coen's angry look.**

**"Probably." Leon sighed and shrugged again. "I looked into it as soon as I got the security clearance, and I was warned to forget about Billy Coen. They even went so far as to hint that Sherry's health depended on it. I won't risk my daughter for anything, Chris. Not even S.T.A.R.S.," he added harshly.**

**Chris scowled darkly. "We would never ask you to," he snapped in return.**

**"Yeah, and just what do you think you're doing whenever you email me with a request for classified information?" Leon shot back roughly. "You've had me walking a fine line for years, Chris, and I'm tired of it."**

**"Then, why do you help us," he demanded angrily, "if it's such a damn burden?"**

**"Because you guys are the only family that Sherry and I have," Leon returned flatly. "Hate me all you want, but you're still family. If something ever happens to me, Sherry will need you, and I expect you to step up to the damn plate!"**

**Billy's eyes flickered as he listened to the exchange. "It's cool, Kennedy. You take care of your kid, and I'll take care myself." He smiled crookedly. "I've been doing it for a long time now, as it is."**

**Leon drew a deep breath and reigned in his temper. "I'll see what I can do, but don't expect miracles."**

**Billy grunted, his cobalt gaze coming to rest on Rebecca. "I gave up on miracles a long time ago," he said quietly.**

**_Shit._ Leon looked away and busied himself with his attaché case. As he traded his .9 millimeter handgun for the more powerful Killer7, he knew that he would have to help Coen if he could. Not only for Rebecca's sake--though that alone was reason enough--but because he didn't want to spend the rest of his freakin' life feeling guilty. **

**He knew what it was like to lose everything you held dear, to be kept away from those you loved the most. If the government hadn't come for him, he would have made his way back to Claire eventually. Even the strange, not-quite relationship he'd shared with Ada Wong couldn't have changed that. Of course, if he had rejoined S.T.A.R.S., he would never have become involved with her. **

**Leon winced at the memory of his brief, peculiar affair with the beautiful Asian agent. It had been six months ago, right after his return from Spain. He'd come home after his debriefing to find her comfortably ensconced in his apartment, having bypassed his supposedly uncircumventible security system. He'd drawn his gun without thinking, and she'd responded with a cool smile. She'd gestured gracefully to the coffee table, where her own weapon rested innocently. He had holstered his weapon and taken a seat beside her. It had been the start of something he would always regret.**

**In the few weeks he'd spent with her, he'd discovered that Ada Wong wasn't the name she used now, though she hadn't disclosed her current identity. He knew that she was four years older than him at thirty-one, that one of her parents had been Chinese, and that she worked for Umbrella's main competitor. He knew that she was a wildcat in bed, and that something about _him_ fascinated her, though he would never know what. Ada wasn't really one for verbal communication.**

**Ada had told him once that she wasn't capable of caring for anyone, but that she didn't want to lose him. That had been six years ago, in the hell that was Raccoon City. The same held true today. Ada would always look out for number one, but for some reason he would never understand, she'd put him in second place on her list. She would help him whenever she could, so long as it didn't jeopardize either herself, or her mission. Maybe, in her own way, she really did care for him.**

**Leon tucked extra ammunition clips into his tactical vest and put the attaché case away. Now wasn't the time to be pondering the mistake he'd made in getting involved with Ada Wong. There was too much to be done, and he would probably be running into her soon enough. He only hoped that Claire wouldn't realize just how close they had been, once upon a time. She'd hate him even more if she did.**

**The sounds of multiple footsteps coming his way brought his head up. Speak of the devil, he thought, quickly hiding a smile as Claire came his way. Her expression was set, her cerulean eyes narrowed, her Magnum drawn and held at her side. She was tense, but she was ready. Not that he blamed her for being afraid. He was scared, himself. They all were. But that wouldn't stop them from going in and doing what was necessary to stop these experiments once and for all.**

**Leon touched the holster below his left arm in an unconscious gesture as Nottingham stopped before them. The assassin smiled faintly, even as he drew his own weapon, an old-fashioned six-shooter revolver. Which explained the equally out-dated set of cross-holsters currently strapped to his hips, as well as the matching revolver at his left hip.**

**Leon couldn't help but grin. "Wanted to be a cowboy, huh?"**

**"Didn't every boy?" Ian said return, turning the pistol over in his hands.**

**Kevin inched closer, his sienna eyes on the gleaming barrel. "Is that a Single Action Army?" he asked eagerly.**

**"Model 1860 Army," the other man corrected gently. "The Richards-Mason conversion. Holds six .45 caliber, brass-cased bullets."**

**"God, I love .45's," Kevin sighed. "Even the old ones."**

**Billy was smiling a little even as he shook his dark head. "I just hope you won't have to reload that thing as often as I think you will."**

**Ian's teeth flashed as he smiled and pulled another, bigger weapon. It was the converted TMP machine gun that Billy had fired at him earlier. "I believe in being prepared, Billy. You should know that by now."**

**Billy laughed, the sound surprisingly free of its usual edge. "Yeah, I should," he acknowledged wryly. "You got that sword hidden in there somewhere too, Ian?"**

**He lowered his head to show the hilt of a sword peeking out of the back of his trench coat, and Sara rolled her eyes. "What is it with men and phallic symbols?" she asked no one in particular.**

**Leon, who had been fingering the hilt of his knife, flushed and withdrew his hand. "Couldn't say," he muttered with embarrassment.**

**Chris frowned faintly as he pulled out his own survival knife. "I've never thought about it."**

**"Well, I wouldn't start, now," Carlos told him, patting his own knife, which all S.T.A.R.S. members carried. "We're men, amigo. No other explanation is needed."**

**"Oh, please," Claire said with exasperation. "That is the worst blanket explanation I've ever heard for anything."**

**"But it works," Jill said as slipped into the group beside Chris. "They _are_ men, Claire."**

**She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Whatever."**

**Kevin just grinned as patted his own knife, which was encased in a leather sheath attached to his belt, and by far the largest in the group. "Think Crocodile Dundee, honey."**

**"Yeah, right." Sara cocked one eyebrow at the handsome newcomer with the obviously huge ego. "You're the cop?"**

**His grin widened. "How'd you guess, sweetheart?" **

**"I was suddenly reminded why I don't date cops," she drawled in response. "It was a natural leap from there."**

**He merely laughed, not offended in the least. "The name's Kevin Ryman," he offered, extending his hand.**

**"Detective Sara Pezzini." Sara shook his hand briskly, rolling her eyes at the low growl she heard at her side. "Give it a rest, Nottingham. I'm just shaking the man's hand."**

**Kevin watched with amusement as the dark-clad man on her right lowered his head and glared at them both with narrowed amber eyes. "Chill, man, she's yours." He held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. "I like my women with a little less spirit."**

**Claire's startling blue eyes narrowed at his words, and Leon ducked his head to hide a smile. "Are we ready to go?" he asked, clearing his throat. **

**Sara drew her gun and raised one dark brow. Leon smiled a little even as Nottingham shook his head negatively. "You're not going inside," he informed her, his voice soft but firm.**

**"Excuse me!" Sara swung towards him, disbelief etched on her strong features. "And just how are you going to stop me?"**

**"Uh-oh," Jake muttered, taking a step back. "This isn't going to be pretty." **

**She shot him a glare over her shoulder before focusing on the assassin once again. "I told you I was a part of this, Nottingham. You agreed!" she added furiously.**

**"Reluctantly, I assure you." Ian held up a black-gloved hand to forestall her protest. "I want you to go with the hunters, Sara. If you're going to be a part of this, you have to stay away from Father."**

**"I'm not scared of Kenneth Irons," she hissed. "I can take care of myself."**

**"No," Billy said suddenly, ignoring the surprised looks he received. "Ian's right. If Irons gets his hands on you, we're all screwed. And believe me, you do _not_ want to be turned into a B.O.W."**

**Her lips firmed with displeasure. "Dammitt, Nottingham--"**

**"It's not just the Umbrellla virus'," Nottingham cut in flatly. "Irons won't use that because it will kill you. He doesn't want you dead, Sara. He wants to control you. If you're infected with the parasite. . ."**

**For the first time, she looked uncertain. "But you're going in there," she pointed out, her voice husky.**

**"Only because I have to, my lady." She scowled, and Ian smiled faintly. "My destiny--my _calling_--is to protect _you_. If you're with us, your safety will be my only concern, and that will jeopardize the others. For the safety of all concerned, I must ask you to go with Billy."**

**Her jade-green eyes flashed as she whirled away from him. "You," she stated, her gaze landing on Leon. "You're the expert here, right? Tell me just how bad these parasite things are."**

**Leon lifted his chin in response to the antagonism in her tone. "The Las Plagas are implanted as eggs. The hatch almost immediately, and start attaching themselves to your internal organs," he said curtly. "The first symptom is blood in the lungs, followed by dizziness and blurred vision. You can expect lapses in consciousness, followed by brief periods of uncontrollable rage. Once the parasite is in control, you will be aware of your actions, but unable to control them. You'll become extremely aggressive, and you'll probably go after the people you care about the most."**

**"Ah, man!" Kevin shook his dark head. "_That_ is what the creepy-crawlies do to you?"**

**"For the most part," he answered, shrugging. "At least, they don't turn you into a zombie."**

**"That is debatable, now," Ian murmured sadly.**

**"Shit, Leon," Hunk said with a laugh. "You're damned lucky, you know that?"**

**"So, I've been told," he returned dryly.**

**Chris put his .9 millimeter away and pulled out his trusty shotgun. "How do you know so much about the parasites?" he asked, pumping the gun once. "That almost sounded like personal experience talking, to me."**

**"It was." Leon sighed heavily and explained, "I was freeing a prisoner of the Los Illuminados when I was caught. I woke up infected with the Los Plagas, and I was damn lucky to survive it."**

**"How did you?" Claire asked, her misty blue eyes wide.**

**"One of the researchers working for Saddler had turned on him," Leon said, smiling faintly. "Luis gave me a bottle of suppressants he'd developed, and left me clues as to where the removal machine was. If it weren't for him, neither Ashley or I would have escaped Spain."**

**"Did he escape with you?" she asked, her tone almost hopeful.**

**"No, he didn't," came the short, flat response.**

**An uncomfortable silence followed his words, and Leon ignored it. "Has Vorshlag developed anything like that?" he asked. He watched Nottingham trade a glance with Billy, and they both shook their heads. "Shit, Dragon. You'd better hope none of us get infected, or the rest of the group will be at risk."**

**"We won't," Jill stated calmly. "We survived Raccoon City. We'll survive this, too."**

**"Si, we will," Carlos said, setting his M-16 on one shoulder. "So long as Nemesis doesn't show up, we'll all be fine."**

**"Nemesis?" Jake questioned.**

**"Remember the Tyrant I told you about?" Leon said. "The big guy in the black trench with the rocket launcher?"**

**Jake's blue eyes widened. "_That's _a Nemesis?"**

**"No, that was his younger, smaller brother."**

**"Holy shit, Leo! You're gonna get me killed, aren't you?"**

**Leon laughed, he couldn't help himself. "You still want to trade New York Homicide for Raccoon City?"**

**"Hell, no!" the other man declared in response. "I'll take gang-bangers and psychos over that shit any day!"**

**"Smart man," Claire inserted, her tone very dry. "The Tyrants aren't anything you want to mess with. You should have seen the one in Antarctica. Talk about a Super-B.O.W.!"**

**Leon's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Alexander Ashford, or Nosferatu, as he'd called by the Umbrella employees in the Antarctic facility. He may not have been there, but he had studied all of the reports following the incident. There had been another Tyrant there; remnants of the security tapes had been found scattered all over the surrounding islands. He'd seen footage of that had been pieced together, and it hadn't been pretty. One of the Tyrants--the government had never been sure which--had had _red_ hair.**

**Ashford had been blond, but with the T-Veronica virus mutating the hell out of him, who knew if it had remained that way. One had been bald, and one had been a red-head, that's all Leon knew.**

**Chris had stepped forward and was dividing the teams, and Leon forced himself to pay attention. He and Claire would be going into the complex with Nottingham, Hunk, Kevin, and himself. Jill and Coen would take Jake, Sara, Carlos, and Rebecca with them to hunt the B.O.W.s. **

**Leon looked up at Hunk as he approached. "Do you remember that hypothetical, what if situation we always talked about?" he asked idly.**

**"Sure do." Hunk tapped the gas-masked helmet in hand against his thigh. "Is it time to give it a go?"**

**"I think so." Leon drew the Killer7 and tapped his ear with his free hand. "See you on the other side, Hunk."**

**The sniper's smile was rife with anticipation as he returned the gesture. "See you there, Leon."**

**Leon watched him pull the helmet over his head, and was reminded of the many U.B.C.S. members he'd seen dead in the sewers beneath the R.P.D. He hadn't known that Hunk was one of them, or that any of them had been left alive after William Birkin's mutated rampage. Hell, he hadn't even known the full story back then. It hadn't been until Hunk had casually mentioned seeing _him_ running around with a gorgeous brunette in that same sewer that he had even suspected that the sniper had been there.**

**"Jesus!" Claire was staring after his rapidly retreating figure with very wide, very blue eyes. "He looks like. . ."**

**Her musical voice trailed off, and Leon offered a crooked smile. "Would it surprise you to learn that he _was_ one of the Umbrella goons were saw in the sewers?"**

**"How did he survive?" she asked with shock. "They all looked dead to me."**

**He shrugged. "Hunk got lucky, Claire. One of the sewer workers distracted Birkin before he could finish him off. He played dead after that, waiting for his chance to escape."**

**"Why is he going in ahead of us?" Chris asked harshly, his distrust of anyone connected to Umbrella obvious.**

**"He's going to find his own way in and provide cover for us," Leon told him in a low voice. His blue eyes flashed a warning as they narrowed on the other man. "It's not just your ass on the line here, Chris. All of our lives are at stake."**

**Chris took an aggressive step forward. "And how do I know that we can trust him?" he snapped in return. "He worked for _Umbrella_, after all."**

**"_You_ can't," Leon stated bluntly. "Hunk doesn't give a shit about you, Chris. He's here strictly for me. He'll protect S.T.A.R.S. because that's what I want, but he'll choose my life over yours if it comes down to it."**

**"Son of a bitch!" Chris swore richly. "And what the hell did you do to warrant such loyalty from a damn mercenary?"**

**"I survived," Leon told him in a cold voice. "Not just Raccoon, but being deserted by every single _friend_ I had afterwards. I survived the nightmares, the constant moves, the government training program, raising Sherry--everything. And I did it alone."**

**Chris flushed guiltily at his words, but stood his ground. "And why does that make you so damn special?" **

**"Because he went through the same thing." Leon shrugged. "He says I remind him of himself in his younger days."**

**Jill frowned delicately. "That's it?" **

**"It's enough, Jill." Leon looked at Nottingham, who was watching them all impassively. "Take us in, Dragon."**

**Ian nodded once, curtly, and looked at Sara. She smiled faintly, but her expression was solemn. The assassin returned it briefly before turning on his heel and walking away. Leon fell into step behind him, wondering uncomfortably if they had some kind of telepathic thing going on between them. With the Witchblade being a supernatural weapon, he wouldn't be at all surprised. He felt a presence behind him and glanced over his shoulder.**

**"Keep going, Rookie." Kevin's silhouette reached out and gave him a gentle nudge forward. "We're not there, yet."**

**Leon stumbled before he could catch his balance. "Asshole," he muttered, more embarrassed than anything else. He was supposed to be a badass government agent, now. To be caught making rookie mistakes pissed him off.**

**"Chill, kid," Kevin told him, his voice lowered for privacy. "We're all a little nervous here, you know."**

**"I know. It's just that. . ." Leon sighed and let his voice trail off. "Do you regret coming here, Kev?"**

**"No," the older man said without hesitation. "This is what we're meant to do. _This_ is why we survived Raccoon, Leon. Everything else is just so much . . .bullshit."**

**Leon was silent for a long moment. "You may be right, Kevin. I just wish the bullshit didn't hurt so damned much."**

**"Yeah, me too, kid."**

**The sorrow in his voice reminded Leon that Kevin had lost a woman he'd barely known but had come to care for in Raccoon City. They'd gotten separated in the hell that was Raccoon University, and Kevin hadn't been able to find her before the rescue helicopter had come for the survivors. Leon had asked him--once--if he'd seen Elza there. Kevin hadn't, and Leon hadn't asked again. There were some things that a survivor didn't speak of--even to another survivor--without an express invitation.**

**Claire frowned as she listened to their conversation. She wondered exactly what the bullshit was that they were talking about. Did he mean the real world, where they had all lived once? If so, she totally understood. She hadn't been able to go back to school after Raccoon City. She'd gotten her ultimately useless degree online, because being around people had triggered mild panic attacks. She never went anywhere unarmed, not even to the bathroom. When she picked up Sherry at the airport for their visits, she always wore her S.T.A.R.S. uniform and carried her official ID, so she could take her gun into the airport with her. Hunting down the remnants of Umbrella might not be smart, but it had seemed right for S.T.A.R.S. to do what they could to prevent Raccoon City from ever happening again.**

**Kevin Ryman had always been irresponsible. He'd been a loud-mouthed, hard-drinking jerk six years ago. He'd never taken anything seriously, not even his job as a policeman. How had a guy like him come to believe, let alone accept, that the Raccoon City survivors were the only ones capable of fighting Umbrella Inc.? Did Ryman really believe that _this_ was his purpose**

**And what about Leon, who had walked away from her and S.T.A.R.S. and their anit-Umbrella movement without so much as a backwards glance? He'd sent them sensitive information via the internet, but he'd never tried to contact them personally. Why was he here now, when he'd kept thousands of miles between him and his former friends? Why did he even care? **

**She looked over her shoulder at her brother, knowing that her confusion showed. His own expression was grim as he listened to the brief exchange. He met her gaze and shook his head, reminding her that they were here to stop Wesker and Vorshlag Industries, and that now was not the time for a personal confrontation.**

**Kevin fell silent, and Leon did the same. They were both fighting their demons tonight, and it would only get worse. Soon enough, they would be back in the midst of zombies and Cerberus' and Lickers and other assorted B.O.W.s. It almost made Leon wish he were back in Spain, where the untainted Las Plagas infected villagers were throwing hand axes and pitchforks at him.**

**_"Leon, you there?"_**

**Leon's lips curved in a genuine smile as he reached up towards his ear and pulled the transmitter's mouthpiece into place. "I'm here, Hunk."**

**_"There are two guards at patrolling the perimeter. Do you want me to take them out?"_**

**"Hold on. Dragon?"**

**Ian looked over his shoulder. "The guards will not be a problem. I will take care of them."**

**Leon nodded, not even questioning how the assassin had heard Hunk's side of the conversation. "That's a negative, Hunk. The Dragon's taking this one. Any word the dogs?"**

**_"Doberman's and Rotweilers. Their body language is screaming aggression. It might just be their training, but I remember the Cerberus' that were running around the R.P.D.. I'd keep an eye out, if I were you."_**

**"I will. If we need any help--"**

**_"You're covered, blondie. Hunk, out."_**

**He stifled the urge to laugh as they approached the perimeter fence. The two guards Hunk had spoken of were just up ahead, walking steadily, their automatic weapons held ready. Nottingham brought one hand up, halting them. He moved forward stealthily, his feet in their heavy boots surprising silent on the grass. His dark clothing hid him nearly completely as he circled around the guards, approaching them from behind. He crept so close, so quickly, that Leon half expected to see him cut down by automatic gunfire.**

**Instead, the dark shape reached out, grabbed one guard, and a loud crack was heard. His body hadn't even reached the ground before the second man joined him, his neck broken in the exact same way. Nottingham stopped, his body going completely still, as he turned to face the fence. After several moments, he lifted his hand and motioned them forward.**

**Leon whistled silently and traded an awed look with Kevin. He caught a glimpse of Chris and Claire's expressions as he started forward. Chris looked grim--which was usual for him--but Claire had looked shocked. Obviously, she hadn't used her S.T.A.R.S. training to break a man's neck, yet. He remembered how good she had been with her survival knife in Raccoon City, even though she'd been a civilian. It was the same thing, in his opinion, just with less blood. **

**In the course of his government training, he'd discovered that though he was in peak condition, his reflexes weren't all that fast. He'd been taught, instead, to use a suplex to break an opponents neck. He used it only as a last resort, if all of his other weapons were gone. He preferred to use the knife he'd gotten from Krauser in Spain, when Ada had literally saved his ass.**

**He frowned at the memory of just how close he'd come to death at the hands of his former partner. The knife he now carried with him had been less than an inch away from his throat, as he'd fought with all of his strength to keep Jack from taking his life. Ada had shot the knife out of Jack's hand, and Leon had taken advantage of the other man's surprise to kick him away. **

**Jack had ambushed him later, first with gunfire and grenades, then transforming one arm in to something resembling a bio-organic blade. To this day, Leon didn't know if it had been the Las Plagas, or one of Umbrella's retro virus' responsible. During their knife fight, Jack had mentioned Umbrella, but he hadn't elaborated. Leon had been too busy trying to stay alive to question him about it.**

**As Leon followed Nottingham over through the hole he'd cut in the fence, he wished that he had. Maybe if he'd known, he could have warned S.T.A.R.S. sooner, could've come to New York earlier, and put a stop to this before any experiments had escaped. **

**He heard a growl up ahead and cursed under his breath. He switched the Killer7 to left hand and quickly drew his knife. In the interest of stealth, he wouldn't use any of his unsilenced guns until it became absolutely necessary.**

**But he had no intention of dying tonight, either. He was suddenly grateful that he'd been forced to take the larger, longer, more serrated knife that Jack had left behind. These fucking dogs had always been vicious.**

**"Forget the knife," Nottingham said softly. "The complex is sound-proofed from the inside, and your compatriot has already disabled the cameras."**

**Leon sheathed the knife and gripped the Killer7 seven tightly. "I owe you one, Hunk."**

**_"Pay me back later_, _Leon. Right now, check your two o'clock."_**

_**"Shit!"**_** He brought the gun up just as a Rotweiler jumped at him. He pulled the trigger, and the dog dropped to the ground with a high-pitched yelp. "Fucking mutts."**

**Leon dropped to his knees to give the others a better shot, and took out the decayed, obviously infected Cerberus running towards him. On his left, Nottingham took the two Dobermans racing towards him. Kevin killed the Rotweiler on his right, while Claire and Chris fanned out to take out any stragglers.**

**One of the dogs that Leon had killed began to move, tentacles exploding from its decomposing skin. Leon was taking aim at the emerging parasite when three shots, delivered silently, took it apart.**

**Leon smiled self-deprecatingly, knowing the other man was watching. "Thanks, Hunk."**

**_"Don't mention it, Leon. Hey, Ryman's eyeing Redfield's rack. You want me to shoot him for you?"_**

**"Uh, no," Leon answered, chuckling, "I don't think that'll be necessary."**

**_"You sure? I could shoot her too, you know."_**

**His smile disappeared completely, and a deep sigh sounded in his ear._ "I'm joking, Kennedy--mostly."_**

**"I know you are." Leon glanced over his shoulder, to find both Chris and his sister glaring at Kevin. He merely rolled his eyes and landed a friendly punch on the his friend's arm. "Keep your eyes on the building, old man."**

**"Screw you, kid." Kevin leered in Claire's direction, ignoring her furious expression. "You too, honey."**

**"Oh, God." Leon dropped his head into his hand and shook it slowly. "She is so going to kick your ass, Kevin."**

**Kevin snorted at that. "She'd have to go through you first, Rookie."**

**"She already has," Chris spat in malicious anger. "Stay the fuck away from my sister, Ryman. I'm warning you."**

**Leon stiffened at the insult and turned away. "Come on, Kev. Let's get this shit over with and go home."**

**Kevin stared at the back of his head and winced inwardly. "Yeah, sure, kid," he said quietly before following.**

**"Chris!" Claire grabbed her brother's arm. "How could you say something like that to Leon?"**

**"I'm sorry, Claire," Chris told her, anger still coloring his tone. "I can't help being mad at him. I thought you were, too?"**

**"Yeah, but. . ." She stared after the man in question, thinking of the hurt that had shone in his too-blue eyes. "Just go easy on him, Chris. For me."**

**Chris' stern expression softened as he gazed at his baby sister. "You've got it, Sis."**

**Claire smiled and squeezed his arm. "Thanks, Big Brother." **

**They caught up to the others quickly, and she sent Leon an apologetic look. He surprised her by smiling faintly and inclining his head in acknowledgement. Thankfully, he'd chosen not to blame her for her brother's burst of temper. Maybe, Leon hadn't changed as much as she'd thought.**

**She looked down and saw two more bodies lying crumpled next to the **

**Nottingham's feet. She shivered and took a step back, unconsciously trying to separate herself from their deaths. They obviously hadn't been zombies, and nothing had come crawling out of their heads. They had been normal humans, with lives and families, and now they were just dead. It was something she would never get used to.**

**"The entrance is this way," Nottingham was saying. He led them to the entrance of the large concrete structure. Windows dotted the building, all dark, for which Leon was infinitely grateful. A short entryway led to a missive set of steel doors, and a retinal mounted on the wall beside it. Nottingham holstered his revolver and drew the TMP, as a precaution, he said.**

**He stood before the scanner and stared into the optical eye. A thin laser appeared, and Leon watched it travel across his eye with a grin. He still remembered using Bitores Mendez's false eye to open the door to the castle. Who would have expected to find a retinal scanner in rural Spain? Certainly not him, Leon thought humorously.**

**The huge double doors opened, accompanied by the hiss of escaping air, and Leon swallowed a feeling of foreboding. Nothing could be worse than Raccoon, he reminded himself, and ruthlessly tamped the feeling down. Nothing he experienced in the last eight years--not even the Las Plagas mutations--could compare to the death of his hometown.**

**As Nottingham straightened and took a step towards the door, Kevin drew a sharp breath. "You've got a way out of here, right?"**

**One corner of Ian's mouth quirked upwards in a half-smile. "Fear not, Detective Ryman. There are several exits, should we be forced to retreat."**

**"Good." Hunk appeared in the doorway, the helmet giving him a strange, alien look. "I've taken out the opposition in the first security room, and disabled the security system for this floor."**

**"We will need to do the same for every floor," Ian told him. "Irons is quite paranoid, I'm afraid."**

**"That's not a problem, Dragon." Hunk hesitated, then lifted the helmet just enough to meet his gaze. "There weren't many people here, Nottingham. I thought this was a working lab?"**

**"It is." Ian frowned faintly. "Or it was, as of three weeks ago."**

**"That's what I was afraid of." Hunk's green gaze moved to Leon, the only person he gave a damn about here. "Be on guard, Leon. I've got a bad feeling about this."**

**Leon's gut tightened at the thought of another viral outbreak. "I will," he said quietly. "I have no intention of being lunch for the walking dead."**

**"Fuck, kid, you throw one hell of a party." Kevin checked his gun in a nervous gesture. "If we get out of this, you're buying for life."**

**Hunk grunted, hazel eyes narrowing slightly, and pulled the helmet back over his head. "If we get out of this, Ryman, _I'll_ buy."**

**Kevin's jaw dropped, and Leon had to suppress a jolt of laughter. It would have nervous laughter, and he didn't want anyone to know how unnerved he was. It was one thing to be afraid, it was quite another to show it.**

**"_Now_, I'm nervous," the older man joked.**

**"Don't be," Leon told him with a smirk. "That's just Hunk's way of making peace with you."**

**"You mean I've been accepted by Mr. Death!" Kevin put a hand over his heart dramatically, then frowned. "Is that a good thing?"**

**"Probably." Leon reloaded the Killer7, frowned, and put it in its holster. He pulled the Chicago Typewriter out of his attaché case and immediately felt better. He caught Chris' frown and shrugged self-consciously. "Just in case."**

**Chris smiled involuntarily. "Is that a .45, too?"**

**"You know it." He flashed a smile reminiscent of the nice, selfless young man he'd once been. "Spain taught me the beauty of heavy weaponry."**

**Claire's breath caught at that smile, one she remembered all too well. "How many bullets does that thing hold?" she asked, her voice breathless.**

**"As many as I can stuff into it." Leon ducked his head almost shyly, a gesture he wasn't even aware of using. He turned to Nottingham, his smile fading. "Lead the way, Dragon."**

**Ian nodded, hating to see the younger man's smile disappear like that. He had a feeling it wasn't an expression Kennedy wore often. "Follow me, then."**

**Leon drew a deep breath and forced his unwilling feet to move, taking him closer to the darkened bowls of yet another nightmare. **


	6. Chapter 6

-1**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in the work below. If I did. . .nevermind, you don't want to know.**

**Synopsis: Set six months after the Las Plagas incident, our favorite RE characters crossover with a few (hopefully) familiar TV characters. Rated 'T' for bad language and stupid humor. Borders on AU.**

**Resident Evil: A Crossover**

**Chapter Six**

**The entrance tunnel stretched out before them, only the flickering red glow of the emergency lights greeting them as they stepped inside. The corridor was otherwise empty, something which Leon was infinitely grateful for. Of course, the entrance of the R.P.D. had been much the same, but it was still comforting. The maps they'd studied back at the warehouse had shown a security room at the end of the passageway, the facility branching off into three separate sections from there. **

**Leon followed Nottingham into the security room and went straight to the cameras. He frowned at the console until he found the switch he was looking for. He turned the monitors on, taking care not to hit any other buttons. Hunk had disabled the security system for a reason, and Leon didn't want to accidentally reactivate it. He just wanted to see what was waiting for them in those hallways.**

**They would probably have to separate to cover all that ground in a reasonable amount of time, Leon thought uneasily. While he preferred to work alone, he didn't have that luxury right now. A part of him wished that he could be partnered with Claire, while his common sense screamed warnings at him. He'd be better off with Kevin or Hunk, who knew him well enough to let him lead. Even Nottingham would be preferable to Chris or Claire, who would both try to assert their dominance over him. **

**Nottingham came to stand beside him, moving so silently that Leon flinched with surprise. "I'm sorry," the assassin offered softly. "I did not mean to startle you."**

**Leon shrugged, embarrassed by his agitation. "It's cool, Dragon." He turned back to the bank of screens and focused on them. "So, where do you want to start?"**

**"There." Ian pointed to the middle monitor with a black-gloved finger. "That is the section for Las Plagas replication. I would prefer to destroy all of the samples there, first."**

**He nodded. "And the B.O.W.s?" **

**"The B.O.W.s are kept several floors down, in the sub-levels," Ian clarified. "It will take some time for us to make our way down there. We should run into little resistance, provided the structural repairs were completed on schedule."**

**"And there _hasn't_ been an outbreak of some kind." Kevin groaned at the prospect. He really hated being underground. "What about the G-virus? Where is it kept?"**

**"And the T-virus," Chris inserted as he approached them.**

**Ian shook his head negatively. "The G and T-virus' are in the west wing."**

**"And the east wing?" Hunk asked tensely, his eyes on the monitor in question. "What's in there?"**

**"The T-Veronica virus," came the startling answer.**

**"What!" Claire rushed to the security desk, her eyes fastened on the east wing's monitors. "They're really working on the Veronica strain here? Is that where they're keeping Steve?"**

**Leon's slanted a glance at her, disturbed by her emotional reaction to the name. "Your email mentioned a man named Steve Burnside," he said as casually as he could. "Who is he?"**

**Ian met his gaze with flat amber eyes. "He is Wesker's laboratory assistant."**

**"Son of a bitch!" Chris swore in a low voice. "Claire--"**

**"He's alive, Chris." She turned wide, stunned blue eyes to his own. "Wesker wasn't just taunting me. He really did bring him back!"**

**Unease uncoiled in Leon's gut as he traded a meaningful glance with Hunk. "Is he human?" he asked the assassin in a low voice.**

**Ian nodded once. "He always appeared to be, Agent Kennedy."**

**"It's Leon." Leon turned away from the monitors and ran a hand through his tawny hair. He met Chris' midnight gaze unflinchingly. "I think you should tell me just who this Steve Burnside is."**

**Those eyes narrowed with eight years of anger even as Chris nodded. "Burnside was a prisoner in the Rock Fort Island facility. He escaped during the bombing, and met up with Claire. They escaped together."**

**Claire was nodding, her auburn ponytail bobbing with the motion. "After the attack on the island, Steve managed to escape the prison, just like I did. He was only seventeen, but he was brave," she said with a soft smile. "He saved my live more than once."**

**Her smile faded, and Leon had a feeling he knew what was coming. "He didn't make it, did he?"**

**"No, he didn't," Claire answered tightly. "Alexia Ashford infected him with the T-Veronica virus, and he mutated right in front of me."**

**She shuddered, and Chris put an arm around her shoulders protectively. "Alexia and her brother, Alfred, had performed an experiment on their father years before. She did the same thing to this kid."**

**"He fought it, though," Claire murmured. "Even as a Tyrant, he retained his humanity. Instead of killing me, he saved me from Alexia. He sacrificed himself for me, and Wesker stole his fucking body."**

**"Why would Wesker bother with a dead seventeen-year-old kid?" Leon asked sharply.**

**"Because he had the last living sample of the T-Veronica virus in him," Chris answered with a sigh. "Once I'd destroyed Alexia, Steve was all he had left."**

**"And this kid's here somewhere?" Kevin asked nervously.**

**"Probably," Ian sighed, his gaze returning to the monitors. **

**"Fuck." The former R.P.D. officer slumped against the wall, kicking it once. "This just turned into a FUBAR rescue mission, didn't it?"**

**"Looks that way," Hunk said neutrally. His hazel eyes narrowed on the monitors as he saw a shadow entering the west wing. "Heads up, guys. We've got movement in the west sector."**

**Bright flashes of light brightened the darkened corridor, even as a slim form came into view. A woman, Leon realized with surprise, her arms extended as she fired a gun at some unseen enemy. Then, several zombies came rushing forward, threatening to overwhelm the lone figure, and she did something totally baffling to the Raccoon City survivors. The woman dropped to her hands and knees and _crawled_ through the undead horde.**

** _"Shit!"_ Kevin pushed away from the hall, his wide brown eyes glued to the screen. "It can't be!"**

**Leon frowned at the fervency behind his words. "Kevin, what is it?"**

**Kevin shook his head, a wide smile creeping across his face. "I know that ass!" he muttered as he turned and sprinted towards the door. **

**"Kevin, wait!" Leon caught him at the door to the west section, halting him with a hand on his arm. "Who is she?"**

**"Who do you think?" the other man snapped. He jerked his arm out of Leon's grasp, his dark eyes narrowing as the younger man positioned himself right in front of the exit. "Move, Leon, and I won't kick your ass up around your ears."**

**Leon frowned at that, but let it go. If this was Kevin's Yoko, no force in this world would stop him from rescuing her. "You're not going alone, Kevin."**

**"Fine, then come with me," Kevin told him, his voice laced with urgency. "Just get your ass in gear, Rookie. If she dies. . ."**

**"Alright." Leon glanced at Hunk, who nodded and tapped his ear. "We'll take the west wing."**

**"We've got the east wing," Claire said immediately, ignoring her brother's frown.**

**"No." Nottingham lifted his chin in a surprisingly arrogant gesture. "There were 296 employees in this building, and nearly fifty experiments when I left. If we don't stay together, we'll be overrun."**

**Kevin was glaring at him angrily. "Fine, whatever. Let's just go already!"**

**"We're going, Kev." Leon lifted the Chicago Typewriter and put one hand on the door. "Hunk will stay with you, Dragon. Take him and S.T.A.R.S. into the Las Plagas section. We'll take this section."**

**"No." Hunk stepped forward with a thunderous expression. "I don't like this, Leon. This whole setup reeks of bullshit."**

**"I know, but we don't have much choice here. Cover S.T.A.R.S., Hunk. Please," he added roughly.**

**The mercenary's hazel eyes glinted angrily even as he nodded. "Keep in touch then, blondie."**

**"I will, Hunk."**

**Leon took a deep breath and opened the door. The eerie groans of the undead filled the wide corridor, and he shivered in response. Pushing aside his fear, he stepped into the dimly-lit hallway. Kevin followed, taking an immediate position on his left. "We check every room, Leon."**

**"Every room," Leon promised him, switching the field light hooked to his belt on. "Just don't take off, Kev. We'll find her together."**

**Kevin nodded curtly, his russet eyes sweeping the zombie-infested hall. He brought his gun up before him, and Leon did the same, just as the first wave hit. Leon took aim and pulled the trigger, using both hands to steady the CT as he fired. Large bullet holes punched through the decayed flesh, punching a bizarre trail up the first zombie's chest before blowing its head apart. Kevin was firing as fast as the Magnum would allow, his expression one Leon had never seen before. He looked almost...happy.**

**Shaking his head, he concentrated on covering Kevin when he had to reload the Magnum. Soon enough, nearly ten zombies lay dead before them. There were just lucky that there had been no Crimson Heads in the bunch. Otherwise, they'd be wasting ammo, obliterating the zombie's skulls to assure that they didn't rise again. **

**Leon opened the first door on left, the machine gun held aloft. The room was deserted, the desk overturned. There was a body on the floor in the far corner, its legs sticking out from behind a filing cabinet, a pool of congealed blood spread out beneath it. The poor bastard had probably tried to hide from the zombies, Leon thought sadly. Not that it would have done any good. It never did.**

**"Dumbass," Kevin said from behind him, the sorrow in his voice at odds with the harshness of his words. "Why don't they ever try to fight back?"**

**"I don't know, Kev." Leon gave the room a visual sweep before slowly backing out and closing the door. "Let's check the next one."**

**The older man nodded and headed for the opposite door, stepping over a twitching body to do so. He pushed the door open and just shook his head, scattering his overlong hair. "Nothing," he announced, pulling the door closed and stepping back. **

**"We keep going, then." **

**They next three rooms held nothing more than more chaos, leaving them shaking their heads at the destruction. They reached an intersection, and Leon just sighed. "Which way do you want to go, Kev?"**

**Kevin's expression reflected his frustration as he looked around them. "Fuck, kid. I don't know," he groaned, his free hand clenching into a fist at his side. "Maybe, we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way."**

**"No!" Leon drew a deep breath and amended his response. "We stay together. She's been through this before. She knows how to handle herself. She'll keep herself alive until we find her."**

**"Yeah," Kevin muttered, "you're right. I know you're right. It's just..." **

**"Believe me, I understand." Leon managed a crooked smile. "I feel the same way, knowing Claire's here."**

**Kevin snorted and attempted to lighten the mood. "If anyone can take care of herself, it's _that_ one."**

**"She's tough," Leon agreed, forcing a chuckle as he glanced to his left. "I say we go this way, then backtrack to the right. We save that," he gestured straight ahead of them, "for last."**

**The other man nodded once as he reloaded the Magnum. "Sounds good, Rookie. Just don't get us killed."**

**"I'll do my best," Leon returned drolly. "Now, move it, old man. I don't want to be here all damn night."**

**"Little shit," Kevin mumbled as they crept forward. "I don't why I put up with you."**

**"Because nobody else will put up with _you_," Leon said pointedly. **

**"Hey, I'm a nice guy." At his friend's smothered laugh, Kevin grinned and added, "Mostly."**

**Leon shot him an answering grin and opened his mouth to respond when a high-pitched scream echoed through the hall. "Kevin--" **

**He was already gone, sprinting down the corridor, shouting Yoko's name like a man possessed. And alerting everything monster in the vicinity of their presence, Leon realized, alarm filling him as he raced after his stubborn friend. The hallway was quickly filling with zombies, coming from all directions, even from the rooms they had already checked. Damn it, he should've wasted the ammo and blown all their fucking heads off! he thought, angry that he had let his concern for his friend distract him. **

**"Goddammitt, Ryman!" he yelled as fear surged through him. "I'm going to kill you for this!"**

**"You'll have to wait in line, Rookie!" Kevin bellowed in return. "For now, just try to keep us alive!"**

**Leon concentrated on doing just that, trying like hell not to flinch as the zombies hissed and spit at them. Kevin was blasting his way through the swarm, reloading so often that Leon was hard pressed to keep them both covered. They ended up back to back in the middle of the hallway, both trying desperately to keep from being eaten alive. **

**"Where the hell are they all coming from?" Kevin asked, raising his voice to be heard among the low, multiple groans of the undead. "Did all three-hundred employees decide to hide here, or what?"**

**Leon didn't answer. He was too busy grappling with the realization that they were probably going to die here. No matter how many they killed, the reanimated corpses kept coming. He switched the CT to his left hand, no longer worried about accuracy, and drew the Killer7 from its holster. If he was going to die here, he was going to take as many of these monsters with him as he could. But he wasn't going down without a fight, either.**

**He reached up and fumbled with the transmitter's mouthpiece, pulling it into place. "Hunk, are you there?"**

**_"I'm here, blondie."_ There was a pause, and then, _"Damn it, Leon, why do I hear the Umbrella theme song playing in the background?"_**

**Leon laughed grimly at the mercenary's unique description of the zombie moans. ''We're being overrun, Hunk." He cursed as a Crimson Head rushed through the crowd and headed straight for him. He aimed for the head and blew the top of its skull off. The zombie shuffled forward before falling at Leon's feet. "We could really use some help here."**

**_"Oh, hell no! We're on our way. Keep your ass alive until I get there."_**

**"Will do. Leon, out." **

**"Is Death coming?" Kevin questioned loudly.**

**"Yeah, he should be here any minute now!" Leon shouted, holstering the now-empty Killer7. "Just hold on!"**

**A hand reached out from a nearby doorway and pulled Kevin out of sight. Leon screamed his name and rushed towards the door, kicking a particularly grotesque zombie away from him. It fell into several others, knocking them to the floor, and he quickly took the opportunity to jump over them. **

**He landed on one knee and jumped to his feet, bringing the CT up as he whirled around. He held the trigger down as the zombies funneled through the doorway. "Kevin, where the hell are you?"**

**"Up here! I ran out of ammo!" **

**He glanced towards his friend's voice, only to find Kevin and a woman crammed between the top of a shelf and the ceiling. He nodded curtly, his lips thinning as he turned his attention back to the zombies. A pile was beginning to form in the doorway, but at least none of the corpses seemed to be moving. A few managed to fall over the twitching mass, and he quickly put a bullet in the head of each.**

**He heard his name and nearly collapsed with relief. "We're here!" he hollered. "Hurry, Hunk!"**

**He heard a low hum, almost a buzz, and then a beam of light tore through the hallway. Leon brought a hand up to cover his eyes, but he could hear the retorts of several guns, and the distinctive thumps of bodies hitting the floor. He held his breath as he waited for the others to make their way to them, terrified that one of them might get hurt--or worse.**

**Hunk appeared in the doorway, his helmet gone, the P.L.R.412 resting on his right shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked sharply, ignoring Chris and Claire as they skidded to a stop behind him.**

**"Yeah," Leon managed unevenly, his gaze moving to Kevin and the woman. "You can come down, now."**

**Kevin nodded, a smile softening his frightened expression. "Come on, sweetheart. We're out of here."**

**The rather plain Asian woman returned his smile, her dark eyes liquid with emotion, and her inner beauty became apparent. Kevin began to climb down the metal shelf when screen flew off of a vent in the corner near them. The woman's eyes widened as she screamed and scooted away. Small black shapes began pour from the vent, leaving trails of slime in their wake.**

**"Give me your hand," Kevin told her urgently, reaching for her with one hand. One of the shapes latched onto his hand, and he cursed as it began to _bite_ him. "Leon! I need you to catch her!"**

**Leon tossed his weapon to Hunk and stepped forward. "I'm here, Kev."**

**Kevin grasped her hand and tugged hard. She gave a startled cry as she tumbled off of the shelf and into Leon's arms. Leon promptly set her on her feet and backed away, giving Kevin room to land. The older man straightened, grabbed the writhing black mass, and tore it off his hand with a roar. He threw it on the ground and stomped on it once. **

**"Goddamn, that hurt!" he exclaimed, shaking his hand as though that would help.**

**"Come on," Hunk told them urgently, his hazel eyes locked on the shelf. "We need to get out of here."**

**Leon followed his gaze to the top of the shelf, where the miniature creatures were coming together, _merging_ into one blob-like shape. "Out," he ordered sternly. "Now."**

**He followed Kevin and the woman out, closing the door, though he knew it wouldn't stop whatever was mutating in there for long. "Is there an infirmary on this floor?" he asked, his crystallike gaze meeting Nottingham's.**

**"Yes," Ian said simply. "Follow me."**

**Leon retrieved the CT from Hunk and shoved it at Kevin. "Take it," he commanded, forestalling the protest he knew was coming. "I don't have time to dig out any ammo out for you, Kevin. Just take it and keep going."**

**"You got it, Rookie," Kevin said with a nod. He looked down at the woman beside him, a gentle smile lighting his face as they began to move. "Stay close to me, Yoko."**

**Yoko Suzuki returned that smile beatifically. "Always, Kevin."**

**Leon pulled a clip out of his tactical vest and reloaded the Killer7. He looked at the tiny Asian woman's gun and asked, "Do you have any ammo for that thing." She shook her head negatively, and he pulled out three .9 millimeter clips. "Here you go. Use them sparingly until we get to the infirmary."**

**She nodded studiously. "Thank you, very much."**

**"You're welcome. Hunk?"**

**"I've got your back," the mercenary said in response to his unspoken question. **

**He exhaled harshly, rubbing his suddenly aching head with a trembling hand, as they moved through the corpse-riddled hallway. It was like Raccoon City all over again, he thought with a shiver. With the presence of the Las Plagas here, he'd really hoped that this would be different, more like taking on the Los Illuminados in Spain. But no, it was a classic Umbrella outbreak, minus Umbrella Inc.**

**He glanced at Kevin and his Yoko, the woman his friend had nearly killed them both to get to. She was talking to Kevin a low, barely audible voice, but it wouldn't matter if he _could_ hear her clearly. She was speaking in a foreign language, one he knew that Kevin didn't speak, but obviously understood. Whatever she was telling him had wiped the happy smile from his face, and Leon was worried.**

**Kevin had finally been given a reason to _live_, not just exist as he'd been doing for the last six years. Instead, he looked as if his whole world had just come crashing down on his head. He watched the other man flex his hand, which was still bleeding freely, with deepening dread. They were in the G-virus development section, and it was an extremely virulent and highly infectious bug. It was also incredibly unstable, causing almost constant mutation to whomever contracted it.**

**What would he do if his best friend was infected? Leon asked himself with bewilderment. Back in Raccoon City, the G-virus had spread through Kevin's body much faster than it had any of the other survivors. The doctors had theorized that it was because he smoked and drank on a regular basis. He still did.**

**It scared Leon to think that he might lose the older man to the nightmare they both still shared. Kevin had nearly died, for God's sake! It was a miracle that he'd gotten out of Raccoon before it had been nuked, or that the Daylight formula had actually worked on his battered system. It had taken a five long, agonizing days for the anti-serum to work it's way through his body. Leon had nearly given up hope when, on the fifth day, Kevin had regained consciousness and immediately asked for a cigarette. **

**Leon smiled to himself at the memory. The man had been thirty-eight years old at the time, certainly old enough to know better. The doctors had told him so, giving him a lecture that he promptly faked exhaustion to avoid. Leon had kept his mouth shut, waited until they had gone, opened a window, and given the old man a smoke. **

**The smile died slowly. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost Kevin. He was a loner who didn't trust many people, or like them, for that matter. Kevin was one of the few people he could tolerate being around for any length of time. The former R.P.D. officer was like a brother to him; Sherry didn't call him Uncle Kevin for nothing. If something happened to him. . .**

**Leon heard a odd sound as they approached the intersection, almost as though an air vent had kicked on nearby. Remembering what had come out of the last vent, Leon palmed the Killer7 and pushed his way to the front of the group. "Did you hear that?" he asked in a low voice.**

**Nottingham nodded, his gaze sliding to their left. "I believe they are called Lickers."**

**"Damn." He turned to find Claire digging through her waist-pack frantically. "I hate those things. They always look like they're inside out. And those damn tongues! Where the hell is my speed loader!"**

**"Here," Leon said abruptly, shoving the Killer7 into her hand. He quickly dug the Handcannon out of his attaché case, and tossed her several ammo clips. "Remember to reload every fourteen shots, and you'll be fine." **

**Claire met his gaze for a long moment before nodding. "Thanks, Leon. I owe you one."**

**He shrugged to cover his embarrassment, bringing the Handcannon up, and stepped into the intersection. The Licker was clinging to the wall, its long red tongue sweeping the air before it, using its sense of taste to search for prey. It caught their scents as they fanned out through the intersection, making that heavy exhalation that indicated imminent attack. He was drawing a bead on its exposed brain matter when a loud bang echoed through the hall.**

**"Incoming," Hunk yelled. "Whatever those slugs were forming is loose!"**

**"Shit!" The Licker dropped to the floor, and Leon readjusted his aim. He pumped two shots into its body as it scuttled towards them, and it was thrown to its back. Its arms and legs flailed wildly before it recovered and sprang back to its feet. **

**Chris put a bullet in its head and quickly turned to Nottingham. "Where's the damned infirmary?" **

**"This way." **

**Ian headed for the eastern hallway, and they quickly followed suit. The sound of gunfire had awakened yet more zombies, who poured out of the rooms ahead of them, even as the odd creature with the man's face and the oversized limbs pursued them from the rear. It wasn't a B.O.W. that any of the survivors recognized, but Billy and Rebecca would have known it instantly.**

**"What is that thing?" Claire asked she took aim at a female zombie in a white lab coat. The woman's head exploded in a gruesome shower of gray matter, and she immediately felt better.**

**"It's called a Mimic," Ian responded even as the TMP tore through the throng before him. "It can assume the form of anything it consumes, human or otherwise. It's one of the few successful Progenitor experiments."**

**"Christ, they're working on that here, too!" Chris swore loudly as he helped Hunk guard their backs, blasting away with his big shotgun. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"**

**Ian had no answer, so he didn't waste his energy trying to. If Father had confided this project to him, he would have put a stop to it. He would have ordered all specimens destroyed, and shut this facility down as quickly as possible. But Kenneth Irons had known how his ward would react, and had hidden it from him completely. Even after his defeat at the hands of Sara Pezzini, while he lay insensate in a deep coma, his wishes had been followed by his board of directors, and the project hidden.**

**Kevin heard Yoko's gun click dry, and the distressed cry that accompanied it, and knew that she'd already gone through the ammo Leon had given her. He grasped her delicate wrist in one big hand and pulled her behind him, placing his body between her and the rapidly thinning mob of zombies. He heard Redfield's words and squashed the urge to smack the guy upside his thick skull. Nottingham had turned on Vorshlag because of what they were doing, and now he was putting his ass on the line to help them stop this. In his mind, that made up for a hell of a lot.**

**"We ran across something like this in Raccoon," he said loudly. "Are we going to need fire to kill this one, too?"**

**"Most likely," came the uncomforting answer.**

**Leon was shaking his head as the passage began to clear up before them. "Will an incendiary grenade do it?" he asked they moved forward.**

**Ian glanced his way briefly, his tawny eyes widening. "Why, yes, I believe it will," he said with the beginnings of a smile. **

**"Good. Cover me, then." Leon holstered the Handcannon and opened his attaché case. He shoved five of the pinkish-colored grenades into his survival vest and put the case away. He didn't know how many grenades he'd need, but if five weren't enough, they were screwed. It was that simple.**

**"Where's the infirmary?" he asked curtly, drawing the Handcannon and firing at a crawler. The zombie died with a deep groan, and Leon blew its head apart to assure that it wouldn't come back. He wasn't fond of the anklebiters.**

**Ian fired at a Crimson Head, who's body shook as each bullet tore into it at top speed. "It's at the end of the hall, second-to-last door on the right."**

**"All right. Keep the door open for me." Leon maneuvered his way to Hunk's side, noting that while zombies were nearly gone, the weird leech-man was still coming. "I'm going to toast this thing with a few incendiary grenades. I need you and Nottingham to get everybody to the infirmary."**

**"I'm staying with you," the other man stated flatly, not even bothering to look at him. **

**"No, Hunk. I'll be using an incendiary device in an enclosed space. I need this hallway cleared."**

**"Fuck that," Hunk declared bluntly. "I'll end this thing right now."**

**He took aim with the P.L.R.412 and waited patiently while it charged. Five seconds later, it fired. The laser cut a hole thought the center of the B.O.W.'s head, and it simply fell apart. Almost immediately, the leeches began to slide back together, and the creature reformed into the form of its last--obviously human--victim.**

**The mercenary scowled angrily. "Where's the damned infirmary?"**

**Leon's voice held laughter as he said, "End of the hall, second door from the end, right side."**

**"Fine." Hunk grabbed his collar and jerked him close, his hazel eyes narrowing dangerously. "You'd better not get yourself killed, Kennedy. You hear me?"**

**"I hear you." Leon grinned as he was set back on his feet, not at all intimidated by the mercenary's threatening actions. It was just the other man's way of expressing his worry over someone he considered a friend. "Just keep an eye on the others."**

**Hunks snorted. "I've got it, Leon." He reached out and smacked Chris on the arm. "Did you hear that, Redfield?"**

**Chris nodded curtly as he shoved fresh shells into his shotgun. "Are you sure you don't need any help?" he asked, unable to hide his concern, no matter how angry he was with the younger man.**

**"I'm sure, Chris." Leon slanted a look over his shoulder, and found Claire's gaze on them. She opened her mouth to protest, and he shook his head negatively. "I've got this one, Claire. Just get Kevin to the infirmary."**

**She glanced at the man in question, who looked both angry and relieved at the same time. "Alright," she said quietly, "but you'd better keep yourself alive."**

**"No worries, honey." He switched the Handcannon to his left hand and drew a grenade out of his vest. "I've gotten damn good at _that_."**

**Kevin stepped forward uncertainly. "Leon--"**

**"Go, Kev. Please," he added softly. The older man nodded hesitantly, and he turned his attention back to the approaching threat.**

**He waited until they were behind him to begin firing at the leech-man. He kept well out of what he hoped was the monster's range as he slowly backed away. He glanced over his shoulder, assuring himself that the others were out of danger. Hunk was the last one through the door, and then it was clear. Leon pulled the pin on the grenade with an vague prayer, and tossed the it towards the gruesome creature.**

**It exploded immediately on impact, engulfing the B.O.W. in red-gold flames. Leon brought his arms up to shield his face, and continued to back away. The few zombies left in the corridor caught fire as well, but it didn't even slow them down. They kept moving in an unhurried, shuffling manner, while the scent of charred flesh filled the air.**

**The Mimic paused for a moment, shaking itself, before the fire was abruptly extinguished. It began to move towards him, although it seemed to have slowed. Leon grabbed another grenade and threw it, just as the B.O.W.'s right arm shot out. It _stretched _like rubber, covering the eight feet between them in seconds, and knocked him flat on his ass.**

**"Jesus!" Leon scrambled to his feet and kept retreating, wishing now that he been quite so confident. The Mimic was on fire, and it seemed to be shaking itself in an effort to put it out. The flames finally died, and the monster lurched forward. It stumbled and regained its balance quickly, but again, the grenade seemed to have slowed its inexorable advance.**

**One of the burning zombies got in its way and the damn thing sent it flying down the hallway towards _him_. He dove out of the way, cursing as he felt heat singe his hair. Shit, now he had a flesh-eating corpse at his back, and a flesh-eating whatever-it-was at his front! This was not good!**

**"Hunk, did you see that?"**

**_"Did that thing just _throw_ a zombie at you?"_**

**"Yep. Could you--" A shot sounded, and Leon chuckled. "Thanks, Hunk."**

**_"No problem, Leon. Hurry up and kill the damn thing, would you?"_**

**"I'm working on it," he said dryly, using his teeth to pull the pin on a third grenade. **

**_"Well, work faster. Hunk, out."_**

**"Everybody's a freakin' critic," Leon muttered as he lobbed the grenade at the monster. **

**This time, the fire didn't go out right away. The Mimic made a horrible sound, a chorus of simultaneous moans, and Leon had no problem imagining that they came from the monster's previous victims. The fire finally burned out, leaving the B.O.W. smoking, and a strange scent lingering in the air. **

**Its body began to undulate, contracting and expanding at a rapid rate, and Leon's eyes widened dramatically. He knew what that meant, and he was _not_ getting caught in the blast. He took off running, yelling at Hunk to clear the doorway as he neared it. He skidded to a stop and dove through the open doorway just as the Mimic exploded. **

**He tucked his knees to his chest and rolled, springing to his feet and whirling around. Globs of blackened flesh littered the hall, some clinging to the walls before sliding grotesquely to the floor. He drew the Handcannon and aimed it at the door, patiently waiting for the last two zombies to make their way towards the only live meal left in the facility. A short, fat zombie in coveralls appeared in the doorway, fully ablaze, and he blew it's head apart.**

**Hunk took the second, his faze completely expressionless, the Desert Eagle smoking in his hands. He calmly holstered his weapon and used his foot to push the smoldering corpses completely out of the room. Leon watched as he disappeared behind a screen, only to return with another headless body. He tossed it into the hall before closing the door on the carnage.**

**"Feel better?" Leon asked in a dry voice.**

**"Yes." The mercenary stared at him for a long moment before cracking an obviously reluctant smile. "Good job, Leon. How did you know it was going to explode?"**

**"Are you kidding?" Leon shook his head tawny head as he returned the smile. "After fighting those Regenerators and Iron Maidens in Spain?"**

**Hunk laughed. "I'd forgotten about that. I think I'm glad I missed that one."**

**"I'd rather be traipsing through the sewage plant there than another B.O.W-filled lab, Hunk." Leon shook his head negatively. "I can't believe it threw a zombie at me, though. _That_ was new."**

**"And unexpected," Ian murmured, half to himself. At their questioning looks, he explained, "The leeches were deemed useless. They were ordered destroyed weeks ago. I can't believe that Irons allowed them to be crossed with a Bandersnatch, of all things."**

**Leon recognized the term from the reports he'd read on Rock Fort Island. "Well, Wesker's got a history of doing of whatever the hell he wants. It's possible that Irons wasn't aware of their creation."**

**Ian met his gaze evenly. "That is quite unlikely, I'm afraid. As I have already explained, Mr. Irons is paranoid when it comes to security. Wesker would not have been allowed to continue his experiments without Vorshlag supervision."**

**"Well, at least they won't be getting in here," Kevin stated, and Leon followed his gaze to what had obviously been an air vent, but was now covered by a thick piece of wood.**

**"We took care of it," Chris added as he fiddled with a computer a few feet away. **

**Claire nodded, her auburn ponytail bouncing with the motion. "It won't keep them out forever, but it should buy us enough time to regroup."**

**"Good." Leon turned to Kevin, who was sitting on a bunk, a clean bandage on his right hand. "Are you okay?"**

**He nodded, his expression wary. "Yoko got the bleeding to stop, and gave me a few stitches."**

**Leon let out a harsh breath, the relief flowing through him quickly eclipsed by anger. "Get up," he ordered, his voice hard.**

**Kevin winced, knowing what was coming. "Kid, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"**

**Leon's clear blue eyes narrowed on his. "Get _up_, Kevin."**

**The older man sighed and slid off the cot, resigned to the inevitable. Leon hit him as hard as he could, knocking him back into the cot, which buckled and took him to the floor. "Don't you ever do that, again!" Leon shouted before stalking away.**

**"Kevin!" Yoko was at his side in an instant, her fingers touching the skin around his left eye. "Are you all right? I can't believe he hit you!"**

**"I can." Kevin shared a grin with Hunk, then flinched as Yoko probed a particularly sensitive spot. He pulled her hand away from his face gently. "I'm fine, Yoko. Really. He has every right to be pissed at me."**

**Her dark eyes flew to his. "But--"**

**"I almost got us both killed, because I was in such a hurry to get to you," he told her softly. She blushed, and he laughed, giving into the urge to pull her close. "It's okay, honey. Leon's pissed now, but he'll cool off soon enough. He's a good kid."**

**"Yeah," Hunk agreed, "he's just got one hellova temper."**

**"That he does." Kevin pressed a kiss to her forehead and pushed himself to his feet. "I'd better go apologize. I'll be right back."**

**He found Leon on the other side of the screen, his head bowed as he stared at the bloodstained cot before him. "I _am_ sorry, Leon."**

**"So am I. It's just that--" Leon broke off and slowly lifted his head, a stark look in his eyes. "You're all I've got, Kevin. You, Sherry, and Hunk. That's it. I don't want to lose any of you."**

**"And I risked both our necks with my stupid stunt," Kevin sighed. "I'm going to be okay, Leon. I'm not going anywhere, I promise you."**

**Leon shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pants pockets. "What if you're infected?" he asked in a low voice.**

**"Then, we'll deal with it," the other man said evenly. "Yoko doesn't think that I am, and she's in a position to know about the B.O.W.s in this place. She says that the leeches aren't contagious. They don't infect their victims, they just eat them. So, unless I start showing symptoms, you can stop worrying."**

**"Kevin. . ." Leon hesitated, not wanting to insult the woman his friend loved, but he had to ask. "What is she doing here, Kevin?"**

**Kevin's lips tightened. "You remember me telling you about Greg Mura?" **

**Leon nodded immediately. He'd listened to a drunk Kevin ramble about the Umbrella scientist and his Tyrant tests more than once. The man had used Yoko's base cells, forcing her to cooperate in his experiments, then wiped her memory clean. She hadn't recalled any of it until they had been running through the Umbrella laboratory, and then only in bits and pieces.**

**"Well, Wesker was fully aware of his research," Kevin told him grimly. "He found that he couldn't use Yoko for his own research, but only after surgery. He kept her with him as another lab assistant because he had trouble deciphering Ashford and Birkin's work."**

**"Okay," Leon said slowly. "She's still human, then?"**

**"Yeah," he returned softly, "she's human."**

**Relief filled him, and he didn't try to hide it. The other man knew him too well. "Then, let's get back to business," he said brusquely. "I have a feeling we're going to have to blow this place. I doubt either Wesker or Irons hung around after this outbreak. We need find proof of what they've done here, and then find a way to destroy this facility. Are you still game?"**

**Kevin ran a hand through his dark hair and nodded. "Yeah, I'm game." He paused before adding, "Can I keep the gangster gun for a while?"**

**Leon laughed a little at that. "Yeah, I'd rather use the Handcannon, anyway."**

**"Cool." Kevin's grin resurfaced, and he couldn't help but return it. "I found her, Leon. She's alive."**

**"I know." Leon clapped him on the back and jerked his head in the general direction of the others. "Let's take care of this so we can go home. You still want that hangover, right?"**

**"You know it." Kevin rounded the screen with him, transferring his grin to the woman he'd been so recently reunited with. "Of course, I'll have to bring my nagging girlfriend along."**

**The younger man sent her a smile of his own. "As long as it's you she's nagging, I don't mind."**

**Yoko frowned faintly. "I am not a nag, Kevin."**

**"It's a just joke," Kevin assured her, and took her hand in his. "Leon, do you have anymore .9 millimeter bullets?"**

**"Of course." Leon set opened the attaché case and collected several clips. He handed them to the other man and then closed the case. He secured it and turned to Nottingham. "You were right, Dragon. If we don't stay together, none of us will make it out of here alive. Is there anything we absolutely must have in this section?"**

**"Virus samples, scientific documentation. . ." Ian shrugged as he casually reloaded the TMP. "It depends on what you believe we will need."**

**"I want proof of what's gone on here," Leon told him bluntly. "Can you lead us to the samples?"**

**"Of course." Ian looked away for a moment, his eyes focusing on something that only he could see. A smile creased his lips briefly, and he looked back up. "Sara and the others have done well. They have already destroyed one B.O.W., and are tracking the next."**

**Chris stared at him doubtfully, then jumped as his radio crackled at his side. He was frowning as he brought it up to his lips. "Redfield, here."**

**_"Chris, it's Jill. We got one of the escaped B.O.W.s."_**

_**"**_**Is everyone all right?" he asked, his voice harsh with worry.**

**_"Yes, we're fine, Chris. How about you?"_**

**Chris hesitated before telling her the truth. "There's been an outbreak here, Jill. We're in the G-virus development section, and we nearly lost Leon and Kevin."**

**_"What! Wait right there. We'll there as soon as we can!"_**

**"No," he told her sternly. "We're fine, Jill. Now that we know what to expect, we'll be on guard. Tell me about the B.O.W. you killed."**

**_"Chris--"_**

**"What you're doing is important, Jill. We can't let those escaped monsters kill anyone else," he reminded her in a rough voice. "Now, tell me."**

**_"Hold on. Coen can tell you exactly what we're up against here."_**

**He scowled even as Billy came on the line. _"You there Redfield?"_**

**"I'm here, Coen. Talk."**

**_"Tell Nottingham that we ran into the first clone. It was running _with_ the pack, despite its conditioning."_**

**Ian stiffened, his big body going completely still, his amber eyes closing. Chris eyed him warily as he said, "He can hear you. Keep going."**

**_"It mutated,"_ Billy stated flatly. _"It looked like they used Ian's cells for one of Wesker's Tyrant experiments. It was a hybrid of some sort, but it looked like Ian until it changed. It went straight for Pezzini, too. Tell him he was right about that."_**

**"Is Sara all right?" Ian asked, his voice low and barely audible. **

**"Was Detective Pezzini hurt?" Chris asked quietly.**

**A snort came over the line. ****_"Hell no. She stuck it with that sword of hers, and it collapsed in on itself. Easiest B.O.W. I've ever taken down."_**

**The barest hint of a smile played on Ian's lips at the news. "Tell Sara that she apparently has nothing to fear from me," he murmured with relief.**

**"You tell him." Chris tossed the radio across the room, shaking his head with confusion. "And when you're done, explain it to _me_."**

**Ian caught the radio without looking and raised it to his lips. "Billy?"**

**_"Hey, Nottingham. Looks like you were worried for nothing. Your girlfriend took that thing down in five seconds flat."_**

**"As relieved as I am to hear that, you cannot expect it to happen again, Billy."**

**_"No, I won't. After that story you told me, I'd say we got damn lucky."_**

**"You did." Ian remained silent for a long moment. "Tell Sara that a lie by omission is still a lie, and she is not to do it again."**

**There was no response for several seconds, then Sara's voice came over the line. _"Screw you, Nottingham. I hear we're doing better than _you_ are."_**

**He frowned down at the radio. "Do not be stubborn, my lady. The bond works both ways and--"**

**_"Stay the hell of my head, Nottingham! If I want you to know something, I'll tell you myself. You got that!"_**

**He made a rough sound and tossed the radio back to Chris. "Stubborn woman," he muttered with a touch of anger.**

**Chris was fighting a smile of his own as he spoke into the radio. "As long as you are all okay, I'm going to sign off. Jill, take care of them."**

**_"Always, Chris. You'll be careful, too?"_**

**"You know it, babe. Redfield, out." He secured the radio on his belt and crossed his arms over his chest, leveling flat blue eyes on Ian. "Talk."**

**Ian merely shook his head, tucking a loose curl behind his ear. "The clone retained more of me than expected, Captain Redfield. That is why it allowed itself to be destroyed so easily. It will not happen, again."**

**"It let itself be killed?" Claire questioned with her own frown. **

**"Yes," Ian replied, shrugging once. "I am not sure how, but the clone must have retained enough of me to keep my memories of Sara. As I would never truly hurt her, so it must have been with this one."**

**"They got lucky," Hunk stated baldly. "After seeing what you can do, I'm hoping like hell we won't into another you."**

**He inclined his head once. "I feel the same, I assure you."**

**Silence filled the large room, broken only by the hushed whispers of Kevin and Yoko. He looked pissed as he announced, "Yoko says that the outbreak here was intentional."**

**Leon nodded, unsurprised by the revelation. "After the Dragon escaped, it would have been stupid of them to stay."**

**"Where have they moved their operation?" Chris asked abruptly.**

**"I don't know," Yoko said softly. "I managed to slip away from Wesker in the confusion following the viral release. And I don't think I'm the only one," she added. "There were others who didn't want any part of this, including Steve and Dr. Immo."**

**"You know Steve Burnside?" Claire asked with shock.**

**Yoko nodded, her expression guarded. "We worked in the same lab," she answered cautiously.**

**Something in her tone caught Leon's attention. He remained silent, but a quick glance at the others showed that he wasn't the only one who had caught it. For some reason, Yoko Suzuki didn't like Steve Burnside, and it showed.**

**Claire turned to her brother with a pleading expression. "Chris. . .?"**

**He shook his head immediately. As much as he hated to deny his baby sister anything, he was drawing the line here. "We'll find him, Claire, but we're not going off on our own."**

**"But we'll cover more ground that way," she protested heatedly.**

**"Forget it, Claire." Leon stepped forward, surprised to find himself not only agreeing with Chris Redfield, but willing to back him on anything. "You saw what happened to Kevin and I. None of us can do this on our own. We need to stay together."**

**Her cerulean eyes narrowed angrily on his. "Just because you and Ryman couldn't handle it," she hissed, jerking her thumb in Kevin's direction, "doesn't mean that Chris and I can't."**

**"Claire, that's enough." Chris sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair, making it stick up in odd places. "We'll find this kid, but we'll do it as a team. Period."**

**She glared at both of them, and Leon had to look away. He knew how hard it was to say no to Claire, especially for her brother. But they didn't have a choice. Otherwise, she was going to get them all killed in her quest to find this damned kid.**

**A part of Leon almost wished they wouldn't. Claire had met this boy less than a week after leaving he and Sherry, and Leon wondered just how he had become so important to her so quickly. Maybe, the reason she hadn't taken his calls or answered his letters hadn't been her anger over his leaving. Maybe, the reason she'd cut him off so completely had been because of the boy she'd met during her absence.**

**"Shit," he whispered under his breath, palming the Handcannon and gripping it tightly. He schooled his features to blandness and turned to Nottingham. "We need to get going, Dragon. I don't want to spend any more time in this place than I have to."**

**"Understandable," Ian said with a faint smile. He turned to Yoko with a forbidding expression. "Are there any viable samples left in the facility?"**

**She quailed under that look. She had seen what this man could do, and she wanted no part of him. "I'm not sure," she told him in a small voice. "The Las Plagas were what he had me secure. He let Steve handle the others."**

**"And Burnside might have jumped ship," Kevin reminded them, putting an arm protectively around her shoulders. **

**"If Wesker has the Las Plagas, then we'll need to find him," Leon said with a sigh. "As for the rest, I couldn't care less. We find some documentation of what happened here, set the self-destruct, and get the hell out."**

**"Provided that there is a self-destruct mechanism in the building," Ian said with surprise. "I have never seen one. What makes you think that such a device even exists?"**

**Leon traded an amused glance with Chris. "There's always a self-destruct, Dragon."**

**"Always," Chris echoed with a reluctant smile.**

**"Ain't it the truth," Kevin inserted with his customary grin.**

**Hunk grunted in agreement. "And probably in the basement."**

**"Right next to the exit tram," Claire added with a sigh of her own.**

**"And then?" Ian questioned curiously.**

**Leon's smile turned cold. "Then, we go after Albert Wesker."**

**Ian was shaking his head as he moved towards the door. "A suicide mission, then."**

**"They're all suicide missions," Leon told him with a shrug. "Comes with the territory."**

**He stopped beside the door, slanting an unreadable glance over his shoulder. "If we do see another version of me, you will allow me to deal with it. Agreed?"**

**Leon nodded vigorously. "I'm fond of breathing, so yes, we're agreed."**

**Ian smiled faintly at the younger man's words. "You give me too much credit, Leon. I may be. . .unusual, but I am still human."**

**"Damn," Kevin said as drew the CT. "Just what did you do to impress the Rookie like that?"**

**When Ian didn't answer, Chris said, "He dodged sixty bullets fired from that TMP he's toting around."**

**"And he caught half of them," Leon added with a grin. **

**"Really?" Kevin stared at the black-clad man with newfound respect. "Cool."**

**"Yeah, it was impressive," Hunk admitted. "You missed one hellova show, Ryman."**

**"It was nothing," Ian mumbled with embarrassment. "Shall we go, now?"**

**Leon bit back at a laugh at the other man's obvious discomfort. "Has everyone reloaded?" At their nods, he turned back to Nottingham. "We're ready, Dragon."**

**Ian brought the TMP up before him and slowly opened the door. Leon glanced at Hunk, who nodded imperceptively. He immediately felt better, knowing that the other man would guard their backs. They stepped over the still-smoking zombie corpses, and back into the blood-spattered hall. **


	7. Chapter 7

-1**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in the work below. If I did. . . nevermind, you don't want to know.**

**Synopsis: Set six months after the Las Plagas incident, our favorite RE characters crossover with a few (hopefully) familiar TV characters. Rated 'T' for bad language and stupid humor. Borders on AU.**

**Author's Note: I want to thank everyone who has waited for this update. This story isn't flowing as well as some of my others, but I haven't lost interest. Writer's block can be a bitch sometimes. I hope it was worth the wait. Enjoy the story!**

**Resident Evil: A Crossover**

**Chapter Seven**

**"This is it." **

**Billy crouched at the end of the alley, his face a study in shadow as he pointed towards a construction site not more than ten feet away. The apartment building was only half finished, as was evident by the blue insulation that covered what would soon be the walls. A crane sat to one side, not too far away from a trailer. He knew that there was no security guard inside, because he been found dead and mutilated that very morning. Hence, the yellow police tape strung around the site. **

**"We knew that they were hiding in this area," he continued, "but we couldn't pinpoint their exact location. They would move through here, but they never lingered--until now."**

**Jill crouched at his side, her grenade launcher pointed towards the ground for safety. "Why now?" she asked in low murmur. "Why not keep moving, and make it that much harder for us to track them?"**

**"There's only three of them left," he answered grimly. "These things are smart, Valentine. We outnumber them, and we just took out one of their alphas. I think they're through running."**

**"They're making a stand," Sara whispered at their backs, still shaken by being attacked by a man who looked exactly like Ian Nottingham--before he'd turned into a twelve-foot monster. "They're making _us_ come to _them_."**

**"It's a trap, then," Rebecca inserted quietly, setting a hand on his arm.**

**"Probably," Billy stated flatly, laying a hand over hers. He let out a harsh breath and slumped back against the building. Outbreak or not, the others had to be doing better than they were! "They're sitting in there, waiting for us to come in, so they can pick us off, one by one."**

**"So, basically, we're screwed," Carlos said much too cheerfully.**

**"Yeah," Jake said with a nervous laugh, "I'd say so."**

**"We can handle this," Jill said with a confidence she didn't quite feel.**

**"Sure we can, chica." Carlos sent her a wink as he pulled his M-16 off his shoulder. "We go in there, kill all the little monsters, and then I steal you away from Redfield. Piece of cake."**

**She smothered a laugh as she reached out and whacked him on the arm. "Don't be an asshole, Carlos."**

**He batted his big brown eyes at her. "But I do it so well, Jill."**

**"Oh, brother," Rebecca muttered, rolling her blue-gray eyes. "Chris is going to beat you up if you don't quit flirting with Jill."**

**"Nah, he'll be too busy beating up Leon," he pointed out with a grin.**

**Jake frowned at their words. "Why?" he asked bluntly. "Leo said that Redfield's sister dumped him."**

**"It's a long story," Jill told him with a shake of her head. "We don't have time for that right now."**

**"She's right," Billy said shortly, not caring which S.T.A.R.S. member was doing who, so long as Rebecca wasn't involved in any of it. "We have to go in there, and pray that they don't decide to jump us all at once. If they do _that_, we will be screwed."**

**"I'd say, you're already screwed," a man's voice behind them.**

**They whirled around, their guns locking onto the new threat. Danny Woo held up both hands in a classic sign of surrender, even as his handsome Asian features showed anger. "Thought you could leave me out of this, did you, Pez?"**

**"Who is he?" Billy threw out, his voice harsh, his pistol trained on the newcomer.**

**"My partner." Sara traded a guilty glance with Jake as she lowered her gun. "What are you doing here, Danny?"**

**"What do you think?" he snapped, his voice heavy with sarcasm. **

**"Nottingham?" she asked, her green eyes narrowing angrily.**

**Danny shook his head as he started forward. "I stopped by your place tonight, and found it wrecked," he informed her with a combination of exasperation and worry. "Just what the hell have you gotten yourself into, Pez?"**

**"Somebody trashed my place?" she asked with surprise.**

**"You didn't know?" She shook her head, and Danny sighed. "Yeah, they trashed everything but your laptop. It led me to a warehouse, and the maps I found _there_ led me to a dead body that looked a lot like Ian Nottingham. As far as I could tell, this was the next stop on the map, so here I am."**

**"Irons," Billy muttered, glancing around him uneasily. He nailed Danny with a suspicious stare. "Were you followed?"**

**"No," Danny answered, slowly crouching beside Sara. "Once I saw Nottingham, I knew that Irons had to be involved, so I covered my tracks."**

**"That's just great," Jake said, running an agitated hand through his blond hair. **

**"I have to call Gabriel," Sara said, dragging her cell phone out of her pocket and dialing. "Come on, Gabe. Pick up!"**

**_"What's up, Chief?"_**

**"Someone trashed my apartment," she said without preamble. "You and Burton might not be safe."**

**_"What do you want me to do?"_ he asked with obvious apprehension.**

**"Get out of there, Gabe--Now."**

**_"Alright. We'll meet you at the warehouse--"_**

**"No," she cut in sharply, "not there. I don't care where you go, but stay away from the warehouse. You hear me, Gabriel?"**

**_"I hear you, chief. What do you suggest, then?"_**

**Sara sighed heavily and gave him the address of Black Dragon's last hideout. It was the last place she wanted to go, but it looked like Kenneth Irons hadn't left her much choice. She signed off with a last admonition to be careful and put the phone away. She saw that Valentine was talking into her radio and knew that she'd have to explain things to Danny. The last thing she needed was him freaking out when they rejoined Ian and the others.**

**"Okay, Danny," she said grimly, "this is it. Irons has finally lost it. He's been doing viral experimentation like what went on in Raccoon City. He's hooked up with Albert Wesker, who was a researcher for the Umbrella Corp., and we're trying to stop him."**

**Danny's dark eyes widened. "He's experimenting on humans?"**

**"Humans, animals, anything he can get his hands on," Billy commented sourly.**

**"Which explains all the chewed bodies we've found lately," Jake added with a shudder.**

**"And Nottingham?" he asked in a low voice. "Was he one of the experiments?"**

**Sara grinned briefly. "While that _would_ explain a few things, the answer is no." She caught Coen scowling at her and shrugged. "The man's weird, Coen. There's no getting around it."**

**"He's not a B.O.W.," Billy stated angrily. "He's trying to help us stop his old man."**

**"I know, I know." Sara turned back to her partner, the smile gone. "That wasn't Ian's body you found, Danny. That monster was a clone."**

**Danny shot her a disbelieving look, unease filling him when she nodded emphatically. "Okay, let me get this straight. Irons is creating cannibals and monsters using a virus that was created illegally by Umbrella Inc. for biological warfare. Ian Nottingham--who some people say is Irons' _son_--is helping _you_ bring him down. Did I miss anything?" he asked caustically.**

**"The Las Plagas," Jake said in a quiet voice.**

**"What is a Las Plagas?" he asked with exasperation. "Is it another virus?"**

**"A parasite that can take control of its host," Billy informed him coldly. He heard a noise behind him and whirled around, bringing his gun up before him. "What the fuck was that?"**

**"I heard it, too," Jill said, holding the grenade launcher at the ready, her blue eyes searching the darkness before them. **

**The shadows began to move around the deserted building, and Carlos cursed fluidly. "Looks like they got tired of waiting."**

**Sara traded a glance with Danny as they both drew their guns. "Jake?"**

**"Yeah, I'm here." Jake swallowed nervously and took a position on her left. "We're kind of boxed in here, Pez."**

**"Yeah, I noticed," she snapped. She really hated it when someone pointed out the obvious. "How do you want to play this, Coen?"**

**"If it moves, and it's not one of us, shoot it," Billy said plainly. "Pump as many bullets into them as you can. Otherwise, we're all going to die tonight."**

**Rebecca quickly traded her handgun for a shotgun and immediately felt better. She pumped it once and moved to his side. "No one's going to die tonight except those monsters," she told him fiercely. "You understand me, Billy Coen?"**

**He uttered a low laugh, amazed that she had wrung one out of him, considering the situation. "I hear you, little girl."**

**Danny frowned as he recognized the name. "Pez, isn't that--"**

**"Leave it alone, Danny," Sara said with a shake of her head. "He's on our side in this."**

**"Si, Senor Coen is one of ours," Carlos said as he took aim at one of the shadows. "Touch him, and you'll have to go through S.T.A.R.S. Right, Becca?"**

**She shot him a grateful smile, and nodded once. "Right, Carlos."**

**Jill made a noncommittal sound, hoping that they could bring Chris around to their way of thinking. "For now, let's concentrate on keeping ourselves alive, shall we?"**

**"Sound like a damned good plan to me, lady." One of the shadows began to creep closer, nearly indistinguishable from the night around them, and Billy smiled coldly. "Incoming, people."**

**He pulled the trigger and the shadow was thrown back a few feet. He continued to shoot, praying that it would die before it could mutate. The .9 millimeter clicked dry, and he slammed a fresh clip home. One of the B.O.W.s jumped over his head, ignoring the thee bullets he pumped into it, and scuttled along the wall. It dropped to the ground behind them, and Billy could only hope that Pezzini and her partners were up to dealing with it. **

**Danny's eyes were wide as he emptied his handgun into the rapidly growing monster. "What the hell is it doing?" he asked, shouting to be heard over the sounds of the gunfight. **

**"Mutating!" Sara yelled back, cursing as she rapidly depleted her short supply of ammunition. She shoved her gun in it's holster, and hastily drew the snub-nosed revolver she kept in a holster strapped to her right ankle. She straightened and emptied all six bullets into it, the last blowing its head apart. She watched with horror as it began to take on an even larger form, and some kind of organism sprouted out of its open neck.**

**"Shit, Pez!" Jake shouted as his gun ran dry. "I'm out of ammo!"**

**"Me, too," Danny said as they began to back away.**

**They were cops, dammitt! They didn't carry an arsenal with them everywhere they went. "I've got this one, guys," she told them with more confidence than she felt.**

**Sara drew a deep breath and willed the Witchblade into sword-form. It changed shape, wrapping her entire lower arm in a protective gauntlet, a four foot sword springing from her metal-enveloped hand. She stepped in front of her now defenseless partners and prayed that she could pull this off. **

**She dropped to her knees as the thing that had replaced its head took a swing at her. She brought the Witchblade up and thrust it into the monster's abdomen. It moved forward, despite the blade buried in its stomach, and she fought down a sense of panic. Dammitt, she could do this! She was the Wielder of the Witchblade, and she wasn't going to be killed by some fucking biological weapon that a power-mad billionaire had created just for kicks!**

**She drew on thousands of years of memories, not her own and yet uniquely hers, and found the answer. She gripped the gauntlet with her right hand and drug the sword up the creature's chest. Its arms were encircling her even as she shoved the sword up into the writhing mass of the Las Plagas parasite.**

**The thing dropped to the ground, twitching in silence as it died. The parasite landed beside it and sprouted feet, just like in the video Nottingham had shown them. It scuttled towards them unevenly, obviously hurt, as it spitted at them. She jumped back to avoid the acidic mist and flinched as a gun sounded right next to her.**

**"Are you okay?" Carlos asked with concern, his expression showing satisfaction as the parasite stopped moving.**

**Sara frowned even as she nodded. "We're out of ammo," she told him. "I had no choice but to get close enough to use the Witchblade."**

**The Latino man nodded and dug a handful of clips out of his waist-pack. "Take these," he said shortly. "I've got to get back to the others."**

**He turned around and ran back to the end of the alley, the muzzle-flash from his M-16 lighting his way. Rebecca's shotgun boomed in her hands as she used the powerful weapon to keep the two surviving creatures at bay. The quiet thump of Jill's grenade launcher sounded at her right side, and she took the opportunity to reload. **

**"They're running!" Carlos yelled, and her head came up. **

**Sure enough, the last two B.O.W.s were running in the opposite direction. They melted into the night, leaving Billy swearing after them. "No!" he gasped suddenly. "They're just regrouping. Look!"**

**One of the bioweapons had retreated deep into the construction site, the gleam of its inhuman eyes the only sign of their presence. The second and largest creature had planted itself right in front of the building, not even attempting to hide. It roared, the eerie sound echoing through the night air, as it slowly began to mutate.**

**"It's changing!" Jill quickly changed her normal grenade ammunition for acid rounds, closing the grenade launcher with a loud click. "Rebecca, Carlos, give Detective Pezzini and her partners whatever .9 millimeter bullets you have on you. Coen, do you have enough ammo for that Beretta?"**

**"Yeah, I'm good." Billy's midnight eyes widened dramatically as he watched the B.O.W.'s very cellular structure rewrite itself. It was assuming a form he hadn't seen before, one much bigger than any B.O.W. he'd ever fought. "Holy shit!"**

**Sara silently echoed the hushed sentiment as the creature grew taller, screaming in agony as its body continued to transform. Its eyes were blood red, glowing in time with its cries. The damn thing had to be at least fifteen feet tall, and it was still growing. Muscles bulged everywhere, the skin covering them taking on a grayish cast. It let out one final roar, those crimson eyes narrowing, and then it _grinned_--at them.**

**Carlos was handing over the ammunition, his dark eyes huge as he gazed up the monster. It took one step towards them, causing the ground to shake beneath their feet, and he jumped. "Mierde!" he swore as he brought the M-16 up. "Is that thing enjoying this?!"**

**"Probably," Billy responded, his voice grim as he took a step back. "They're intelligent, after all." **

**Jill took aim and fired even as she asked, "You mean, you don't know?"**

**Billy shook his head and drew a bead on the B.O.W.'s bald head. "No, this thing's new to me, too."**

**The monster took another thunderous step towards them, and they all began to fire. It didn't react to the gunfire at all, merely kept stomping towards them in a slow, gradual approach. They began to back away, hoping that the narrow alley would slow it down. It didn't. The B.O.W. merely raised both hands and smashed the buildings on either side of it, reducing them to mere rubble.**

**It stepped over the large pile of debris, that evil smirk still in place, and uttered a deep sound that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. "Jesus!" Jake exclaimed shakily, reloading and firing once more. "The damn thing's _laughing_ at us!"**

**"Oh, God!" Rebecca whispered, blasting it ineffectually with her shotgun. "It doesn't feel pain, does it?"**

**"Apparently not," Danny muttered, knowing that they were out of their depths with this one. "Pez, can you do anything with that sword of yours?"**

**Sara snorted. "Like what, Danny?" she drawled sarcastically. "Bloody its knees?"**

**Billy choked back a bleak laugh at her words. They were probably going to die, unless they found this thing's weakness--fast. "Just aim for the head," he yelled, citing the one fault that all of the previous bioweapons had shared. "The damned thing can't live without brain matter, right?"**

**"God, I hope not!" Sara shouted back. She readjusted her aim and began firing into its massive skull. After the seventh shot, it seemed to pause, howling in a different matter than before. "I think it's working!"**

**"Damn it!" Jill aimed the grenade launcher as high as she could and pulled the trigger. The acid round arched in the air, coming down to hit the creature's gigantic torso.**

**It bellowed with pain, clutching the burning spot, smoke seeping between its overlarge fingers. It took one staggering step and dropped to its knees. It continued to scream even as its back split open. Blood flowed freely from the large wound, aided by the parasite which pushed its way through it. It wiggled grotesquely, slinging blood over all of them, as the B.O.W. rocked with anguish.**

**"Shoot the parasite!" Billy shouted, aiming at the squirming red mass and pulling the trigger.**

**Multiple shots tore into the parasite, and the B.O.W. reached back behind its head in an attempt to protect it. The parasite retracted, the wound closing once more, and the monster rose to its feet. It glared at them with intelligent, murderous eyes, and lowered one shoulder.**

**"Scatter!" A new, obviously feminine voice echoed through the ruined alley. "It's going to charge!"**

**Billy didn't think twice. He grabbed Rebecca's arm and began to run, literally dragging her over the brick and concrete wreckage when she stumbled. The came out onto the street and dove to the left just as the giant charged. Billy twisted so that he landed beneath Rebecca, cushioning her fall. The breath left his lungs in a rush, and he ignored the sudden lack of air. He had a vague impression of Jill and the others, jumping out of the giant's way as it came crashing onto the street. He set Rebecca aside, lifted the Beretta, and fired into the wound that was now visible on its back.**

**The B.O.W. dropped to its knees again, grasping its head as the Las Plagas emerging once more. He lifted the gun to fire when a streak of red crossed his vision. A woman in a scarlet dress ran up to the monster, climbed up the length of its back, and began to slash at the parasite with a knife. Billy scowled and contemplated shooting her, but he just couldn't do it. She might be partly responsible for this, but she _was_ helping right now, and he wasn't a murderer. Unfortunately, he thought sourly.**

**"Billy?" Rebecca's blue-gray eyes were wide as she unconsciously scooted closer to him. "Who is she?"**

**"Ada Wong," he answered in a low voice, his gaze meeting hers briefly. "She's the one who brought the Las Plagas to Wesker and Irons."**

**The woman jumped from the monster's back as the severed parasite flew through the air. She landed gracefully, despite three-inch heels, and drew a machine gun from the holster strapped to her right thigh. The B.O.W. fell to the ground, arms and legs splayed, and went still. The Las Plagas itself was scuttling towards the woman in red, fully aware of who had destroyed its host. She shook her head and began to fire, her sapphire eyes narrowed on her target. The parasite finally stopped moving, a gray-green stain spreading out beneath it.**

**The woman approached it with a swaggering walk, her full lips curving into a satisfied smile. "Well, that was easy," she commented to no one in particular. "El Gigante, indeed."**

**Billy rose to his feet, helping Rebecca to hers. He faced the beautiful Asian woman with his gun drawn, putting his body between she and Rebecca. "What are you doing here?" he growled warily.**

**Ada Wong shrugged elegantly. "You looked like you could use the help, Lieutenant Coen."**

**He snorted and lowered the gun--slightly. "You didn't answer my question, Wong." He ignored the gasps that he heard from behind her, keeping his gaze trained on hers. "Why aren't you off with Wesker, creating more of these fucking monsters?"**

**Distaste crossed her undeniably beautiful features, then was gone. "I've decided to find another job," she said huskily. "One that isn't quite so. . . demanding."**

**"What does that mean?" Jill asked as she circled around her. "You work for Wesker, don't you?"**

**"Not anymore." Ada tilted her head to one side and studied Jill Valentine, one of the four survivors of the Spenser Mansion incident. She'd never been this close to any of Leon's former friends, and she had to admit to being curious. "Where are your teammates, Miss Valentine?"**

**Jill gazed at her silently, remembering all Leon had told her about this woman six years ago. "You betrayed Leon in Raccoon City," she stated in a quiet voice. "Why should I tell you anything?" **

**Those jewel-like eyes flickered upon hearing Leon's name, though her expression remained inscrutable. "You shouldn't," she said with another shrug. "I'm not here for any of you."**

**Sara's emerald eyes narrowed on her. "You work for Irons," she stated flatly. "Why are you helping _us_?"**

**Jill watched the play of emotions across the woman's lovely features with comprehension. "You're here for Leon, aren't you?" **

**Ada smiled slightly, inclining her head in acknowledgement. "Nottingham isn't a stupid man, Miss Valentine. I knew that he'd go to S.T.A.R.S. for help. After all, you _are_ the experts for this kind of operation. And Leon isn't the type of man to let the people he cares for risk their lives alone. No matter how badly they have treated him," she added pointedly.**

**Jake glared at her with open suspicion. "How do you know Leo?"**

**"I cooperated with him in Raccoon City," she said, her expression closing. "Let's just say that I have a vested interest in keeping him alive."**

**"Why?" Billy asked rudely, not bothering to hide his skepticism. "You're the one who stole the Las Plagas from him in the first place."**

**"That was business," Ada said, the first signs of impatience creeping into her expression. She holstered the machine gun with sigh and crossed her hands over her considerable chest. She looked down at the ground for a long moment before raising stark blue eyes. "He's at the facility, isn't he?"**

**She watched as they all traded glances and cursed fluently in Chinese. "Why did you let him go in there?" she asked with obvious anger. "Don't you know how dangerous that place is?"**

**"Kennedy's a government agent," Billy pointed caustically. "He knows how to take care of himself. And he's been through this before."**

**"Yes, but he still has nightmares because of Raccoon City. He shouldn't have--" Ada broke off, her worry obvious. "You have one more B.O.W. to kill. You should concentrate on eliminating it for now. I'll go back to the laboratory and--"**

**"Wait a damned minute," Billy broke in with a scowl. "Are you trying to tell me that you're on _our_ side, now?"**

**Ada laughed seductively. "No, Lieutenant Coen. I'm on Leon's side, whichever side that happens to be." She sent a sexy, mysterious smile at the handsome Latino man standing beside Valentine. "Good to see you again, Carlos."**

**"Uh, hi, Ada." Carlos flushed, uncomfortably aware of the disbelieving looks he was receiving. "She's not one of my girls," he said quickly. "She belongs to--"**

**"Someone who's name is better left unsaid," Ada told him sternly.**

**Carlos nodded in vigorous agreement, not wanting to tangle with her ex, who he liked to consider a friend, and would kill him without batting an eye. "Si, beautiful. I'm shutting up, now."**

**Jill frowned at him darkly. "Carlos?"**

**"There are some things that you're better off _not_ knowing, Jill." Carlos looked at Ada and smiled crookedly. "Kennedy's a tough one, chica. Good luck."**

**Ada shrugged again, stiffening as she heard the sound of police sirens. "You had better get out of here," she said, drawing her handgun. "I'll lead them away from here, and give you time to get away. Don't forget the last B.O.W.."**

**She took off running, going towards the sirens, and disappeared into the night. Billy frowned after her and shook his head. "Come on," he said abruptly, turning to Rebecca and taking her hand in his. "We need to be anywhere but here right now."**

**She nodded, and fell into step beside him, as they jogged to the construction site. "It's gone, Billy."**

**"How long do you think it will take to track it?" Carlos asked with a faint frown.**

**"Not long," he answered in a hard voice. "And since that giant was protecting it, I think its safe to assume that its not an alpha. It shouldn't be too hard to kill after _that_."**

**Jill sighed as she joined them. "I can't believe how tough that thing was," she said. "I've never met a B.O.W. that resistant to pain. Even Nemesis could be hurt."**

**"Not much," Carlos grumbled at her side. **

**"Yeah," Jake chimed in. "I can't believe that it couldn't feel all the bullets we were pumping into it."**

**"I'm just glad it's dead," Danny said with a shake of his head. "For a while there, I thought we were toast."**

**"Me, too, partner." Sara smiled slightly. "So, that woman has a thing for Kennedy, huh?"**

**Jill hesitated. "Leon told me that she confessed to loving to him in Raccoon City, right before they were. . .separated."**

**"And how does Redfield feel about that?" Sara asked wryly.**

**"I don't know," she answered with a sigh. "Claire doesn't talk about Leon much."**

**"She hated it," Rebecca said quietly. At the older woman's surprised look, she explained, "Claire was always afraid that she got Leon on the rebound, and that's why he was able to leave her so easily."**

**"No way." Jake shook his tawny head negatively. "Leo used to talk about his Claire non-stop. He was always writing her letters, trying to call her, stuff like that. He really missed her."**

**"Then, perhaps he shouldn't have left her," Jill responded sadly.**

**He frowned at that. "But Leo said that she took off for Europe without him and the kid?"**

**"Only because she was looking for Chris," Rebecca told him. "He'd been missing for four months, and that was the first solid lead that she had."**

**Jill nodded in agreement. "Chris is the only family she has."**

**"Then, why didn't she take them with her?" Jake asked with exasperation. "Why did she leave them behind?"**

**"Why didn't he wait?" she countered simply.**

**He lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug. "She ended up being taken prisoner by Umbrella, right?"**

**"Leon told you about that?" Jill asked with surprise.**

**"For months afterward, he thought she was dead," Jake said in lieu of an answer. "He'd gotten an email about the outbreak on Rock Fort Island, and he never heard anything more. That's what scared him the most, the thought that she'd died on Rock Fort Island, because she'd willingly gone back into Umbrella's world. He was a mess for a long time after that," he added with a touch of anger.**

**Billy grunted. "What you're saying is that he was scared, and he fucked things up?"**

**Jake thought about that for a minute. "Yeah, I guess I am."**

**"I know the feeling," he muttered, slanting a glance at the diminutive woman walking beside him. "I hated leaving you in the Arklay Mountains, knowing that you might not make it out."**

**"That was my decision, Billy," she reminded in a quiet voice.**

**"I know," Billy acknowledged, "but that didn't make it any easier to bear, Rebecca."**

**She released his hand and wrapped her arm around his waist. He kissed the top of her head and shortened his stride to match hers. He had missed her so much the last seven years. He had thought about her constantly, wishing like hell that he could find a way to clear his name, and become a part of her life. Unfortunately, the military had done too good a job covering up what had happened in Africa. Had he gone to her, he wouldn't have been able to stay. He would have been in and out of her life, and she would have ended up miserable. As much as he wanted to be with Rebecca Chambers, he refused to ruin her life that way.**

**They approached a large park, and Sara told them about how she had once used the Witchblade to subdue a serial killer here. Billy winced as she described stabbing the ground right between the guy's legs with obvious relish. Poor Nottingham, Billy thought with a fleeting smile, he had no idea just what he was in for with this one. **

**Then, he thought of the assassin's vivid, detailed descriptions of his lady, and realized that Nottingham wasn't stupid. He was far from blind to her faults. He knew exactly what his lady was like, and he loved her anyway. Said that she was his destiny, whatever the hell that meant.**

**He glanced down at Rebecca, who smiled up at him with those big blue-gray eyes, and thought that he understood. He returned that smile and wished like hell that they were alone. With a silent sigh, he forced himself to release her and turned to Pezzini. "The B.O.W. will need to feed to heal itself," he announced quietly. "If we don't find it tonight, more people will die."**

**"We'll find it," Sara said firmly. **

**"We'd better, because it'll just get worse if we don't." Billy's navy eyes were narrowed as he gazed around the sparsely-lit park. "Every time a B.O.W. feeds, it takes on new characteristics. It's almost as though they absorb more of their victim than just the flesh. They sure as hell get smarter with each kill."**

**"Great," Jake mumbled. "Super-smart monsters."**

**Carlos grinned despite the grim tone of the conversation. "Let's just hope that they don't eat any geniuses, then."**

**"Carlos." Jill chuckled reluctantly, her expression one of fond exasperation. "Detective Pezzini, I don't see many people around here. Is there a jogging path, or a gathering place near here, where the B.O.W. might find victims quickly?"**

**Sara's green eyes widened slightly. "Yes, there is."**

**"There's a basketball court on the other side of the park," Jake said, swearing. **

**Danny nodded in agreement. "Drug dealers, teenagers, the occasional hooker. They all hang out there. There won't be any rocket scientists, but--"**

**"If they're human, they're food," Billy stated bluntly. "Take us there."**

**Carlos glanced down at his blood-splattered uniform. "We should fit right in, amigo."**

**"There's nothing we can do about that," he said, shrugging. "Come on."**

**Sara led them through the darkened park, praying that the absence of screams meant that the bioweapon hadn't beaten them to the court. This was her city, not theirs. Her job was to protect and serve, to provide justice for those who couldn't defend themselves. Nothing that had happened since acquiring the Witchblade had changed that. Nothing ever would.**

**They came to the basketball court and drew up short. Sara gazed at the scene before her with shock, even as her hand went for her gun. There was blood everywhere, appearing black in the flickering light from the street lamp. Severed body parts were strewn throughout the court, making it impossible to tell how many victims there were. **

**No wonder they hadn't heard any screams, Sara thought, sickened by the carnage before her. They had probably been torn apart so quickly that they hadn't had a chance to react. **

**"Fuck," Billy whispered to himself, his eyes glued to the human wreckage. The poor bastards hadn't stood a chance. He barely heard Rebecca as she said his name, only absently registered the feel of her small hand grasping his arm. The scene before him changed, blending with the memory of the Africa villagers his comrades had so callously slaughtered. Bodies piled one on top of another, their mouths open in silent screams, their dead eyes wide with horror.**

**"It's okay, Billy." Rebecca laid a hand on his arm, fully aware of what he was going through. She'd him like this once before, in the bowels of Umbrella's Dead Factory in Raccoon City. She'd hoped never to see this look of pained horror in his eyes, again. "You're not alone, Billy. Do you hear me? You're not alone."**

**"I hear you, little girl." His voice was hoarse as he tore his gaze from the bloodbath and focused on her. "Just like old times, isn't it?"**

**"That's not funny, Billy Coen." Her severe tone was at odds with the worry etched into her youthful features. "We'll stop this thing. You know we will."**

**"I know, Becky." Billy cleared his throat, glanced around to assure that they weren't being observed, and drew the Beretta. "Let's get this bastard."**

**"We're with you, amigo." Carlos shared a glance with Jill, who shook her head once. Neither wanted to mention the flashback they had just witnessed, though it worried them both. "Let's kill this thing and go home."**

**Jill smiled faintly at his words. "Right now, I'd be happy to run into a normal, run-of-the-mill zombie."**

**"Amen," Rebecca said softly. "These things are downright scary."**

**"And then some," Sara agreed, injecting dryness in her tone. "I've seen some weird shit since the Witchblade found its way onto my wrist, but these things take the prize."**

**Jake laughed, the sound devoid of humor. "It almost makes me wish Nottingham was here."**

**"Now, I know you're scared," Danny said wryly.**

**"Well, do you blame me?" he asked rhetorically. "None of my training included preparation for carnivorous, shape-changing bioweapons."**

**"It should have," Jill told him, her tone serious as she reloaded the grenade launcher and began to move forward. "After what happened in Raccoon City, all branches of law enforcement should have included B.O.W. defense tactics in their training regiments."**

**"Yeah, they probably should have," Jake agreed. "I know that Leo got that kind of training when he went to work for the President. Not that he needed it," he added humorously. "That guy was mean enough to begin with!"**

**"Leon's not mean!" Rebecca protested. "He's one of the nicest people I've ever known."**

**"Only until you piss him off," Jake said with a snort. "The guy's got a temper on him that just won't quit."**

**"Really?" Rebecca blinked, trying to imagine the Leon she had known angry. He'd always been so nice to her, willing to listen to her when she talked about Billy, and commiserating when her longing for him become too strong. "I've never seen him angry before. He was always so patient, listening to everyone's problems, trying to help if he could."**

**"So, he used to be a nice guy," Billy snapped, unable to keep the jealousy out of his tone. "People change, honey."**

**"Leon has always had a temper, Rebecca." Jill stepped over what appeared to be an arm, quickly tearing her gaze away. "He _is_ a nice man, but nice doesn't necessarily mean weak. It merely means that he has a great deal of patience."**

**"Can we talk about this guy later?" Danny asked tersely. "I've got a feeling this thing didn't go very far."**

**Billy nodded. "It's probably still in the area, waiting for another meal to wander into its paths. If that doesn't happen, it'll just go on the hunt, and be that much harder for us to find."**

**"But wouldn't it have been smarter for it to find another nest, or whatever you'd call it?" Jake asked.**

**"Not yet," Billy answered. "Now that it's fed to heal, it'll only want more."**

**"Umbrella B.O.W.s have always been driven by the most basic of instincts," Jill explained. **

**Carlos shuddered. "The need to feed," he said in an atypically somber manner.**

**"And this one has already found easy prey here," she stated wearily. **

**Sara met her gaze evenly. "Yeah, it has."**

**Silence met her words, and Billy smiled grimly. He'd been right about Valentine. She was a smart lady. Pezzini wasn't stupid, she was just a little too gung-ho. Valentine was different. She was calm and controlled, and not nearly as self-righteous as he had expected. He found that he liked her, even if he wasn't crazy about her old man.**

**He made his way through the court, following the trail of blood that wound its way through the carnage. Bloodied footprints showed clearly in some areas, but they were anything but human. It _did_ had some human characteristics, but the bloody impression was elongated, with gaps between the tops of the toes, and what he assumed were claws at the very top. **

**He cursed violently under his breath. That meant that the B.O.W. had already mutated, which would make it that much harder to kill. He traded a grim look with Valentine, who nodded almost imperceptively, but neither spoke. The tracks--as well as the mutilated bodies--spoke for themselves.**

**Damn! he thought nervously. He could see how so many had escaped at once. These things were not only aggressive, but they were smart as hell. Especially, the alphas. They were the dominant creatures, after all. What he didn't get was how they were able to work together without killing each other. That was something they shouldn't have been able to do.**

**Not that it mattered, now, Billy reminded himself. Alpha or not, all six B.O.W.s _had_ worked together with an almost human intelligence. Now, there was only one of them left. It might not have strength in numbers anymore, but it would desperate now, and all the more dangerous because of it.**

**On the upside, once they were destroyed, he and the others would probably join Nottingham and Kennedy in the Vorshlag lab. It would be just like before, in the Arkham Training Facility, when he and Rebecca had been forced to fight their way back into the light.**

**At least, they had back-up this time. It wasn't the two of them alone, with a dwindling supply of ammunition, and only a handful of healing herbs. They had what amounted to a small army helping them, all of whom were highly trained in combat. Unlike the earlier incidents, they might actually have enough firepower to get everyone out of this alive. It was a nice thought.**

**After he had left Rebecca in the Arklay Mountains, he had stole into Raccoon City and hidden in an abandoned building. He had stayed there for two long months, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rebecca, even if he didn't dare approach her. Like everyone else in the city, he had heard of the isolated cases of cannibal killings that occurred sporadically during that time. Unlike the general populace, he had known just what was causing them, and who was behind it all.**

**He should have left sooner, Billy knew. But he had chosen to stay, stubbornly determined to see the woman he'd fallen so hard for. Instead, he had found himself caught up in the horror of a full-fledged viral outbreak. He had barely made it out, having to hide from the police as well as the government troops sent to contain the outbreak. **

**He hadn't known about William Birkin's brush with the U.S.F.U., or that the T-virus had been carried through the city by infected rats. All hell had broken loose around him, and he had been hard-pressed to keep himself alive in the ensuing chaos. Like nearly every other citizen of Raccoon, he had hit Kendo's Gunshop and bought all of the ammunition he could carry. Then, he had shot his way out of the dying Midwestern town, sticking to side streets to avoid law enforcement.**

**He had seen some weird shit that night, things that defied the laws of both man and nature. If he'd had any faith left at all after what the Marines had done to him, he had lost it in Raccoon City. Only two thoughts had sustained him thorough the ordeal; seeing Rebecca Chambers one more time, and doing everything he could to see that Umbrella Inc. never did this to anyone's hometown again.**

**Billy was only grateful that Rebecca had lied and declared him dead. Law enforcement had always kept an eye out for him, but searching for a dead man hadn't been a top priority. It had made it easier for him to move around the country unnoticed, and to find ways to fight Umbrella's evil. He had been on several missions during his own private crusade, using an assumed name to help those that were working against the pharmaceutical giant, using his Special Ops training infiltrate more than one secret Umbrella facility. He'd done whatever he could to undermine Umbrella's progress in the bioweapon business, though it hadn't been nearly enough.**

**His latest investigation had brought him to New York, and Vorshlag Industries. He had gone in under an alias, posing as a simple worker in the sub-levels of the underground laboratory. He had seen what they were up to, though he couldn't get proof of it. He had intended to send what little information he'd gathered to a few of the anti-Umbrella groups he'd worked with in the past. He'd planned to sneak them into the complex, help them destroy as much as he could, and then simply disappear. Then, Nottingham had cornered him, calling him by his real name, and the jig had been up.**

**But Nottingham hadn't turned him in to either Irons or Wesker. Instead, he had offered to help Billy, and they had become friends. Things had been going well until Irons had offered Ian to Wesker as a test subject. Nottingham had refused, and all hell had broken loose.**

**Billy still wasn't sure just what Irons had done to his ward, but the wounds he'd seen when he freed Ian had looked like _lash_ marks. Billy didn't know, and he didn't want to know. Whether Ian realized it or not, Irons was a dead man, just like Wesker. They didn't dare leave either man alive if they truly wanted to end this. **

**God, did he want this done! Billy thought wearily. Six years was a long time, and sometimes he'd felt that he was fighting a losing battle. Umbrella Inc. might have folded, but Vorshlag was proof that the bioweapons business was still booming. Wesker had brought dozens of his own people with him, most of whom were intimately familiar with the B.O.W.s they produced. God only knew how many Vorshlag employees had once worked for Umbrella. Just like before, they were creating monsters under a benign corporate front, and innocent people were dying as a result.**

**A woman's scream jolted Billy out of his reverie. He whirled and took off running, only vaguely aware of the others as they followed. The screams continued, cries of pain and terror that grew weaker with each passing moment. Billy slowed as he approached the shaded part of the park, glancing over his shoulder. Rebecca and the others were running towards him, he noted with a sense of relief. The last thing he wanted was to take on a mutated B.O.W. by himself if he didn't have to.**

**He entered the rich canopy of trees, which blocked what little light the moon had previously provided. He cursed silently and walked forward with slow, careful movements, his Beretta held up before him. The screams had dropped in volume, becoming mere breaths of sound, and he shook his head at the waste. Once again, he was too late to save an innocent who's life had been unfairly taken. It was story of his life, and he hated it.**

**He heard his name whispered and stopped, waiting for Rebecca to catch up to him. Her glue-gray eyes were wide as she joined him, but she held her gun steady. The sounds stopped altogether, only to replaced by the less distinctive, but no less terrifying, sound of a bioweapon feeding. "We're too late, aren't we?" she asked in a murmur.**

**"Yeah, I think we are," he whispered in return. They traded a sorrow-filled look before starting forward. He could hear Valentine and Pezzini as they talked in low tones behind them. He couldn't make out the words, but he thought it likely that she was attempting to keep the hot-headed policewoman from rushing into a potentially fatal situation. Yes, he definitely liked Jill Valentine. She was a class-act all the way.**

**They came upon a small bike trail, and what they saw made Billy's blood run cold. What had once been a woman hung upside down from the top of a light post, the backs of her knees gripping the bar, holding her firmly in place. Her exaggerated forehead gleamed under the artificial light, her vacant white eyes fastened on the body beneath her. Even as he watched, the Regis Licker's long red tongue lashed out, wrapped around the already mutilated corpse, and lifted the dead woman into the air. The bioweapon pulled it towards its overlarge mouth and began to feed once again.**

**Billy didn't think twice. He took careful aim and began to fire, smiling grimly as the B.O.W. squealed in pain. It dropped its victim and reared up slightly, it's tongue flying through the air towards him. He dived out of its path, landing hard on his side, and continued to fire. The retorts of several guns echoed his, and the partially mutated V-ACT dropped to the ground.**

**The creature began to transform, fueled by the DNA it had just consumed. Billy reloaded with trembling hands, horror rising up in him as the monster's skin began to peel away from its body, exposing glistening red muscles. Shit, it was becoming a full-fledged Licker! **

**"What is that thing?!" Jake asked with horror.**

**"It used to be a zombie," he answered tersely. "Now, it's a Licker. Don't get too close, or it'll kill you with that tongue."**

**"Yeah, that helped," Danny muttered under his breath. "How many bullets do these things take?"**

**Carlos slammed a fresh magazine home and took aim once more. "Just keep your distance and shoot it until it squeals, alright?" **

**"Not a problem," Sara assured him as she emptied her gun into the writhing creature. **

**The creature lunged towards them and faltered, and Rebecca took a hasty step back even as the shotgun boomed in her hands. "I hate these things," she mumbled as the Remington clicked dry. She hastily reloaded, shoving the shells in as fast as she could. "I still can't believe they start out as zombies."**

**"I can." The Licker was bleeding heavily, but Jill was worried. She had never run into a Licker or Drain Demo that could take this much damage. No wonder Leon and the others had been taken by surprise, she thought as she quickly loaded flame rounds. If all of the new bioweapons were this damage-resistant, they were in a _lot_ of trouble. **

**"I hope Chris and the others are all right," Rebecca said softly, unconsciously echoing her thoughts.**

**She managed a tight smile and pulled the trigger, watching with grim satisfaction as the Licker caught fire. "I'm sure they are, Rebecca." **

**The bioweapon let out a skull-piercing squeal, its over-muscled limbs flailing wildly, before finally going still. Billy lowered the smoking Beretta and let out a harsh breath. Now, for the hard part. He reloaded and calmly approached the dead woman, who's body was already starting to twitch in that disturbing way that heralded resurrection. He drew a slow bead on her head just as her blank eyes opened and pulled the trigger. A pool of congealed blood spread out beneath her, and the trembling finally stopped.**

**Rebecca approached him, her gray-blue eyes somber. "I've never seen a victim turn that fast," she murmured sadly.**

**"Yeah," he sighed, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. "Vorshlag's really fucked things up."**

**Jill watched them for a long moment. "I think we should join the others, now," she said at length. "Any objections?"**

**Billy's cobalt eyes flicked to Sara. "Nottingham's going to be pissed when he sees you in the lab," he felt compelled to warn her.**

**Sara raked a hand through her honey-brown. "He'll live," she said shortly. "If what we fought tonight was any indication, they'll need our help. He can bitch about it later."**

**"Sara--" Danny hesitated, his dark eyes locked on the dead Licker. "Are you sure about this? Maybe, we should call in some back-up."**

**"No," Jake stated flatly, ignoring the startled looks he received. "Captain Dante is on Irons' payroll. If we call for help, we're going to end up dead, or in Irons' custody. We should take care of this ourselves."**

**"What about the CDC?" he asked with exasperation. "Surely, they should know about this?"**

**"That would take too long," Jill told him calmly. "Our captain is in the laboratory complex with Mr. Nottingham right now, and there's been an outbreak there. If it's not contained as soon as possible, you'll have a state-wide epidemic on an epic scale. That's a chance we can't take."**

**"We on our own here, Danny." Sara met his gaze evenly. "You should go home to Lee and let us take care of this."**

**His black eyes narrowed angrily on hers. "Forget it, Pez. We're partners. If you're in it, so am I."**

**"Fine," she snapped angrily. She pulled her cell-phone out of her pocket and turned away. "I'll check in with Gabriel, then we'll go."**

**Carlos approached the Licker and nudged it with his boot, his too-pretty features reflecting hatred. Jill set a hand on his arm, and he dredged up a smile. "Sometimes, I wonder if it will ever end, Jill."**

**"It will, Carlos." She squeezed his arm reassuringly before stepping away. "Come on, let's go save Chris' ass."**

**His brown eyes lit up at that. "Ah, to have El Capitan in my debt," he said with an overly-dramatic sigh. "You're a genius, Jill."**

**Jill laughed, relieved to see him back to his normal, obnoxious self. She looked over at Sara, who was putting her cell phone away with a relieved expression. "Barry and Gabriel made it to the warehouse safely?" **

**"Yeah, they just finished pulling up the lab schematics," she said, rolling her eyes. "Gabe can't wait to talk us through the place."**

**"Let's go, then. I want to join the others as soon as possible."**

**Billy followed them back to the van, careful to keep his face in the shadows. Rebecca slipped her hand into his, and he squeezed hers gratefully. "Not a day went by that I didn't think about you," he murmured softly. "I want you to know that, sweetheart."**

**"It was the same for me." Rebecca hesitated, then asked the question that had haunted her for so long. "Why didn't you ever try to contact me? You must have known how I felt about you?"**

**He sighed and pulled her close to his side. "You were only eighteen, Rebecca. You were too young for what I wanted from you."**

**"That's bull," she said stubbornly. "I let you go because it was the right thing to do, Billy, but don't ever think it was what I wanted."**

**"It wasn't what I wanted, either." Billy slanted a sidelong glance at her, wondering if he'd done the right thing by staying out of her life. "I was a fugitive, honey. I didn't have a future six years ago, and I don't have one now. You deserve better than that."**

**"I don't want better," she whispered angrily. "I want _you_."**

**"You've got me," he told her with total honesty. "If you're sure, I'll keep in touch with you once this over. Alright?"**

**"But you're still going to run," Rebecca said sadly.**

**Billy shut his eyes at the pain in her voice. "I don't want to end up in front of a firing squad," he said hoarsely. "Please, Becky, try to understand."**

**"I do, Billy." She echoed his sigh and rested her head on his chest, matching her stride to his. She remembered what Kevin had said about Leon taking care of it, and wondered if he could pull it off. Could Leon really find a way to clear Billy's name?**

**I'll ask him, she decided, already starting to feel better. Leon was a government agent, now. He answered only to the President of the United States. If he couldn't help Billy, then no one could. She only hoped he would help her after they way S.T.A.R.S. had treated him six years ago.**

**The van was waiting in the parking lot they'd left it in. She climbed in the back and waited until Billy had settled against the side to sit down. She sat between his legs and put her arms around him. He hugged her close, his hands sweeping over back, and she doubled her resolve. Somehow, some way, she was going to clear Billy Coen's name and have the future with him that they both deserved.**


	8. Chapter 8

-1**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in the work below. If I did. . .nevermind, you don't want to know.**

**Synopsis: Set six months after the Las Plagas incident, our favorite RE characters crossover with a few (hopefully) familiar TV characters. Rated 'T' for bad language and stupid humor. Borders on AU.**

**Author's Note: This one got away from me for a little while, but it was nice to come to it with a fresh perspective. Hopefully, you'll like this chapter, short though it is.**

**Resident Evil: A Crossover**

**Chapter 8**

**Leon stood tensely in the 1st floor laboratory doorway, watching Chris as he talked to Jill on the radio in low tones. The other man made a frustrated sound and kicked the headless body at his feet, yet another altered zombie. He traded a glance with Hunk, who's usually stoic expression showed concern. The other team had finally killed the last of the escaped bioweapons, but not before several civilians had been lost. **

**What bothered Leon was the unpredictable mutations that they had encountered. An El Gigante, a Tyrant, and a Regis Licker, running in the same pack, _cooperating_ to evade their human trackers. There was something inherently wrong with that scenario. B.O.W.s were supposed to be weapons, incapable of rational thought, their only need to find fuel for their reanimated bodies. There had been exceptions in the past--Nemesis was a prime example--but this was far from normal.**

**They themselves hadn't run into anything more deadly than Crimson Heads and that Mimic creature, but he now he was really starting to worry. They hadn't even managed to clear the G and T-virus section, yet. God only knew what waited for them in the other areas, he thought with growing anger. Kevin had already been injured, damn it! It was a miracle that he hadn't been reinfected! **

**He glanced into the now empty hall, and the locked door that led to the Las Plagas section. They couldn't go in yet. They still had too much to do here. Still, Leon found that he was anxious to see just what Albert Wesker had done with the prehistoric parasite.**

**When he'd been infected by the Los Illuminados, he hadn't let himself think about the possible consequences. He'd had a job to do. Rescuing Ashley had been his first priority, and Spain had been nothing compared to Raccoon City. But when the parasite had taken temporary control of him and forced him to attack Ada, he'd realized just how dangerous the Las Plagas were. If even one of those damned things had made it back to Washington, the results would have been catastrophic. **

**And Saddler nearly pulled it off, Leon acknowledged with a frown. If President Graham had sent another agent in to rescue his daughter, she would have returned home as a mindless puppet, a slave of Saddler and his quasi religious cult. The nightmare he had survived in Raccoon City had prepared him for the violence of the work that the government had thrust upon him. There were only a few agents in the world who with the skills necessary to survive such a disaster, and he was the only one the president trusted enough to protect his only child.**

**Leon's frown darkened dramatically. David Graham might not have been in office when the government had forced Leon into the program, but he had to be aware of the circumstances. More than once, he had found himself wondering why the president didn't just cut him loose, and let him go his own way. **

**That he wasn't happy with his work was obvious. He was polite and respectful, but he made no effort to hide his discontent. President Graham knew, all right, he just wasn't biting. He wanted the man who had saved his daughter to continue to protect her. Period. Anything else was simply unacceptable.**

**Claire watched as Leon glanced out the door, his expression one of impatience. For all of his nonchalance, there was clearly something about the Las Plagas parasite that bothered him. Maybe it came from being infected by it, but somehow, she didn't think so. Or at least, she thought that it was something more than that. She just didn't know what.**

**He was so different, now, she thought with a silent sigh. The open, giving man she'd fallen in love with was gone. Oh, she'd signs of him here and there, but not enough to ease the ache in her heart. Leon was bitter, angry, and hard, and he hadn't bothered to hide it. He made no excuses, offered no apologies. He didn't care what anyone thought of him, and he'd made that perfectly clear with his rude behavior. People could take him or leave him, and Claire had the feeling that most chose to go, rather than bang their heads against the brick wall that was Leon Scott Kennedy.**

**She listened to Jill's words as she described the scarlet-clad women who had come to their aid with a rush of anger. Ada Wong, she thought venomously. The spy who had used Leon in Raccoon City, and had nearly killed him to get her hands on a sample of William Birkin's G-Virus. The deadly, beautiful woman who had loved Leon enough to sacrifice her life for his.**

**She had always hated the fact that the woman's death had affected Leon so greatly. He had truly mourned her, even though she had betrayed him. Leon had always claimed that he hadn't returned her feelings, but a part of her had always doubted him. How could a man grieve so deeply for a woman he hadn't loved? **

**She heard her brother sign off, his curt farewell belied by the softness of his voice, and she thrust thoughts of the beautiful Asian spy aside. They had other things to worry about at the moment. Chris sighed heavily as he hooked the radio on his belt, and she knew that he was worried about Jill. He loved the woman to distraction, and he hated being separated from her. "Jill's okay?" she questioned in a low voice.**

**"Yeah, she's fine," he said with another sigh. "They're going to meet us here."**

**"Good," Claire responded with real relief. "We need all the firepower we can get."**

**Chris only shrugged and glanced across the large room, a habitual frown pulling his brows together as he observed a similar expression on Leon's face. "What's wrong with Kennedy?" he asked, his voice taking on an edge despite his best efforts.**

**"I don't know." Claire mimicked his shrug. "He's been glaring at the door to the Las Plagas section for a good ten minutes now. I don't think his memories of Spain are very pleasant."**

**"Probably not," Chris murmured, remembering Leon's flat words about being infected with the parasite. "I'll go tell him about Jill and the others and check it out. Make sure you're locked and loaded," he added sternly. "We'll leaving soon."**

**She snapped a truly terrible salute. "Yes, sir!"**

**He grinned as he turned away, his smile dying as he approached a very unhappy Leon Kennedy. "Jill and Coen are on their way here," he informed the other man. "I told them we'd would wait here for them."**

**The younger man only nodded, and Chris hesitated before adding, "They had a little help, Leon."**

**Leon nodded again, his blue eyes darkening. "I heard," was all he said in response.**

**Chris considered questioning him about Ada Wong's dubious help, then decided against it. From what Claire had told him over the years, he knew that Leon had taken the woman's death hard. It couldn't be easy for him to know that, not only had she survived, but that she was working for the enemy.**

**Leon glanced across the room, his eyes locking Claire's slender form. He hated that she was a part of this, but there was nothing he could to change it. She'd chosen her path. He only hoped that Ada behaved when she finally put in an appearance. He had no doubt that they'd run across her eventually; Ada was very serious when it came to ensuring his safety. Still, she'd better keep her damned mouth shut about their affair. He wasn't exactly ashamed of his involvement with her, but the last thing he wanted was for _Claire_ to know about it. She might hate him, but that had never stopped him from loving her, or worrying about her opinion of him.**

**He forced his unease aside, his expression turning thoughtful as he sought to give his allies as much information as he could. "I ran across several files in Spain," he began slowly. "Luis--the researcher that helped me--believed that the Las Plagas had a collective consciousness. That they could communicate on an almost subliminal level."**

**"Like an ant colony?" he asked, his mind flashing back to Alexia Ashford and her poisonous insects.**

**"Pretty much." He glanced up, meeting the other man's gaze briefly. "But unlike ants or bees, there was no queen parasite to direct them. Unless. . ." his voice trailed off as he remembered the staff Saddler had had in Spain.**

**"Unless what?" Claire demanded, taking a step closer. "What aren't you telling us, Leon?"**

**Leon frowned at her, and her cerulean eyes flashed in response. "If you'll let me finish, I was going to say that--"**

**"The staff." Everyone turned to Nottingham with identical expressions of surprise, and he took an involuntary step back. He truly hated being the center of attention!**

**"Exactly." Leon tried not to smile at the assassin's apparent discomfort. He let out a harsh breath and attempted to explain. "The staff that Osmund Saddler used to control the Ganados in Spain had a parasite in it. He transformed before we fought, and the staff merely became a part of his mutation. He'd obviously had a parasite in him, but he could control it, even combined the two. Maybe. . ."**

**Leon hesitated, not wanting to mention the source of this next bit of information. "One of my contacts called it a Master Plaga, and believed that sound waves may have been used to control the parasite. Kind of like the low frequency used for a dog whistle. Saddler used that staff to control his followers, but I don't know if it was necessary only for control, or if he needed it to communicate with the Ganados. I don't believe he did," he added with terrifying simplicity.**

**"Wonderful," Claire said with a sigh, her gaze meeting his. "What you're saying is that these B.O.W.s might be able to communicate telepathically?"**

**He gazed into haunting blue eyes, unable to look away. "Yeah," he told her softly, "I guess I am."**

**Nottingham's dark brows drew together in a frown of his own. "If they could communicate thus, it would certainly explain how they coordinated their escape, even though they were housed on different levels."**

**"Well, that's just peachy," Kevin muttered. "If they're that smart, then every B.O.W. in this damned place knows we're here already. They were probably hiding when we first came in, just waiting for us to make a mistake. That's how they cornered us so damn easily."**

**Yoko stirred at his side, her delicate features distorted as she also frowned. "We never found anything to indicate that kind of intelligence, Kevin."**

**Hunk snorted at that. "They were obviously smart enough to fool a facility full of trained scientists like _you_, honey."**

**Kevin's eyes narrowed on him slightly. "Yoko is not a scientist," he said, an edge to his normally jovial voice.**

**"Then, what the fuck was she doing here?" Hunk asked caustically. "Fetching coffee?"**

**"Hunk." Leon sent him a warning glance, and the older man subsided, though he was far from happy about it. "Yoko's presence here goes back to Raccoon City, and we both know how hard it is to get away once you're under Umbrella's thumb."**

**Hunk merely shrugged and folded his arms over his chest, his expression going blank. "You'll explain later, then?"**

**Leon smiled faintly. "If we survive this, yes."**

**The mercenary grunted. "Good enough for me, blondie."**

**Leon chuckled and settled back against the wall. He crossed his arms over his chest, keeping his gaze trained on the open doorway beside him. "I hope they get here soon," he muttered as unease began to fill him. "I don't like staying in one place like this. It's dangerous. We'd be better off if we kept moving."**

**Chris frowned at the paranoia in his words. "Since when have you been paranoid, Leon?"**

**Hunk snorted. "You're kidding, right?" **

**Kevin laughed a little at that. "We're all a little paranoid now, Chris. Personally, I blame Raccoon, but hey, that's just me."**

**"No, it's not," Leon returned, grinning as he added, "old man."**

**The other man merely flipped him off. "Don't make me come over there, Rookie. I'm too damned tired to kick your ass right now."**

**Hunk smiled widely. "I'd love to see you try, Ryman. You can't take Kennedy here and you know it."**

**"Yeah, yeah," Kevin muttered, waving his words aside. "You two had better be nice to me, or I'll sick Yoko on you. We'll see how long you last, then."**

**"Kevin!"**

**Hunk didn't even bother to hide his disbelief as he burst out laughing. "Yeah, and what's your little girlfriend going to do, Ryman?" he asked gaspingly. "Bitch at me until I drop dead? If that didn't work for my ex-wife, it's sure as hell not going to work for _her_."**

**"Nope." Kevin smiled smugly. "She's shoves like a guy, Hunk. She'll push your ass on the ground and stomp you to death, just like she did with those zombies back in Raccoon."**

**"Oh, brother." Yoko gazed at him with exasperation, then reached out, placed both hands on his shoulders, and pushed. "Maybe that will teach you to be nicer, Kevin."**

**Kevin stumbled back a few steps, his surprised expression quickly changing to one of delight. He grabbed her and pulled her close, his sienna eyes gleaming wickedly. "See?" he questioned with a grin. "What'd I tell you, Hunk? My girl can kick anyone's ass."**

**Leon laughed, glad to see his two closest friends getting along, even as he was surprised by how open Hunk was being. The mercenary almost never talked about his life; Leon hadn't even known that he _had_ an ex-wife. But he'd accepted that Hunk had secrets a long time ago. He didn't need to know the other man's life story to be his friend. Hunk was loyal, and that was _all_ he cared about. Loyalty was a trait that most of the people he knew didn't have--at least, not when it came to _him._**

**He crouched and laid his attaché case on the floor before him. He opened it and withdrew a second holster, the one he was technically supposed to be using. He'd never gotten used to having a gun strapped to his thigh, as opposed to under his arm. He'd used the rig in Spain, but had constantly wasted precious moments reaching towards his shoulder before remembering that his gun was on his hip now. But with what they had already run into, he'd feel a hellova lot more comfortable with a second weapon that was easily accessible.**

**Leon strapped the holster into place around his right thigh, then reached for his favorite weapon. He sighed as he realized that Claire still had his Killer7, and he was reluctant to ask for it back. As much as it bothered him to be without it, the thought of Claire being hurt far outweighed his own discomfort. Reloading every six shots was risky, especially when a Crimson Head was racing towards you.**

**No, he thought as he glanced her way, he'd leave the .45 with her. He could make do with another piece of his government arsenal.**

**He pulled out the fully upgraded, .9 millimeter Blacktail and loaded it. He secured it in the new holster and shoved four boxes of .9 millimeter bullets into his survival vest. He glanced at the few he had left and sighed heavily. Yoko hadn't proven to be the best shot in the world, but she needed the ammo even more than he did. She might have survived a night in Raccoon City, but she didn't have any real combat experience, and it would kill Kevin if anything happened to her.**

**Leon grasped the five remaining boxes of bullets and carefully closed the case. He strapped it to his back and rose to his feet, striding towards Kevin purposefully. "Take these," he said, shoving the boxes into the older man's hands. "Yoko's going to need the ammo for that Beretta she's using."**

**Kevin grinned at his obvious reluctance. "Thanks, kid."**

**"Yes," Yoko said with a smile. "Thank you, very much."**

**Leon did his best to return the gesture. "Sure thing."**

**Hunk waited until he returned to his door-side vigil to add, "Don't worry, Leon. I've got a shitload of .9 mils in my case."**

**"Thank God," Leon muttered under his breath. He hated running short on ammunition, and anyone who knew him knew it. "I brought a lot of shit, but I usually use the Killer7, not my .9's."**

**The other man glanced at Claire, who had that very same gun in her sweet little hand. "You could've taken it back," he pointed out reasonably. "I'm sure she would've understood."**

**Leon merely cast him a dark look in response. They both knew that he would do anything to keep ensure Claire Redfield's well-being, including letting her keep the gun he was most comfortable with. Hunk was just being Hunk, letting him know that he still didn't approve of his friend's feelings for the woman, without doing anything that would put a strain on their friendship. If there was one thing the mercenary was good at, it was straddling fences.**

**"One of these days," he said as casually as he could, "you're going to have to tell me just what Umbrella did you piss you off so much."**

**Hunk's weathered featured hardened even as he shrugged. "Ask again, once we're back in D.C., and I'll tell you."**

**Leon raised one tawny brow and said, "I _will_ ask, Hunk."**

**"And I just said I'd tell you," the mercenary returned with the slightest hint of impatience. "But until then, leave it the fuck alone, Leon."**

**Leon studied him for a minute longer before nodding. "Well, do you want to finish checking the rooms between here and," he jerked his head towards the Las Plagas door, "there before the others arrive?"**

**The mercenary nodded curtly. "I hate sitting around on my laurels when there are no targets in sight."**

**Kevin frowned at that. "I thought you were a sharpshooter, Hunk. Aren't snipers _supposed _to have patience?"**

**"There's a reason I'm not a sniper anymore, Ryman." Hunk pushed away from the wall with a smirk. "It's probably the same reason _you_ never made it into S.T.A.R.S.."**

**The older man shot him a dirty look, and Chris covered a smile with his hand. "Patience isn't my strong point, either," he said with a shake of his head. "I'm good, but it's not my specialty anymore."**

**"I'd definitely get bored," Claire declared with a rueful smile. "Sitting in one place for hours on end, never moving. . .No thank you."**

**Leon smothered a laugh at that. Patience had _never_ been Claire Redfield's long-suit. "So, are we ready to do this?" he threw out as he drew the Handcannon.**

**"Yes," Chris replied instantly, adding, "so long as we don't leave this section before Jill and the others join us."**

**Leon only nodded and turned to Nottingham, who had been observing them all in silence. "Any objections, Dragon?"**

**"None," he answered in a surprisingly soft voice. "I would prefer that this section be free of bioweapons before Sara rejoins us."**

**Hunk snorted at that. "I have a feeling your girlfriend can take care of herself, Dragon."**

**Ian shrugged, his black-clad shoulders rising and falling with the motion. "Nevertheless. . ." He slid one his revolvers out of its holster and thumbed the hammer back. "Shall we?"**

**"After you," Leon returned wryly.**

**He smiled faintly, his amber eyes gleaming, as he turned away. He found that he liked Leon Kennedy, despite his anti-social programming. First Billy, and now this one, Ian thought with a silent sigh. No matter how hard he tried, he simply wasn't capable of being what his father wished him to be. While his love might be unconditional, his loyalty was not, and that was all Kenneth Irons truly cared about.**

**Leon watched the assassin take a position to the right of the next door. He took the left, trading a glance with the other man, before grasping the knob. He turned it and slowly pushed the door inward, holding the Handcannon out before him. An image flashed through his mind of Bitores Mendez ambushing him in Spain, and he resolutely pushed it aside. He wouldn't be lucky enough to have Ada's help this time around, and now definitely wasn't the time for a flashback. There was too much to be done to let himself be distracted by the past.**

**It was another laboratory, this one even bigger than the last. Leon scowled as he spied the papers scattered all over the floor. He hadn't found any files he could take back to President Graham as proof of Vorshlag's activites yet, and he wasn't happy about it. Every room they'd investigated had already been searched and stripped clean of any incriminating documents. So far, it seemed that Wesker had done a thorough job of covering his tracks.**

**Leon sighed as he spied a two bodies on the far side of the room. One was half hidden under a table, while the other lay face-down in clear view. "Crawlers," he muttered to himself, approaching them with cautious steps. He'd been bitten more times than he cared to remember in the R.P.D. before realizing that if he watched closely enough, he'd see the head move with the slightest of motions. **

**Sure enough, the one on its stomach turned its head almost imperceptively. Leon suppressed a shiver and planted a boot in the center of the zombie's back. It moaned and began to move at the contact, trying to reach the source of food it had lured into its path. His blue eyes narrowed with hatred as he pushed the zombie back to the ground and drew a bead on the back of it's head. **

**The skull shattered under the impact of the 50 caliber bullet, splattering the plain tile floor with bits of blood and bone.Leon grimaced and stepped carefully over the mess, glancing towards the desk. Hunk was crouched before it, his weathered features hard, as he he reached under it. Leon raised one tawny brow as he watched the mercenary grab the zombie's ankle and pull the reanimated corpse into the open. What had once been a woman hissed, her opaque eyes flying open, as she sat up and reached for the other man.**

**Hunk didn't move, strangely calm as he pressed the Desert Eagle to her forehead and pulled the trigger. The zombie dropped back to the grouned, the back of its head gone, a pool of coagulated blood spreading out beneath it. He glanced up, caught Leon's eyes on him, and shrugged once. "Just figured I'd save you the trouble, kid."**

**"Thanks," Leon returned in his driest voice. **

**The mercenary grinned suddenly. "Don't mention it, blondie."**

**He returned the smile warmly. "Don't worry, I won't."**

**Claire watched the former U.S.F.U. agent laugh with a concerned frown. The man was a killer. Leon had to be aware of it. They called the man Mr. Death for a reason, and he didn't even _try_ to hide the fact. Why the hell had Leon let someone like this into his life? she asked herself incredulously. The man she'd known had had a strong sense of right and wrong. He never would have joined forces with someone who took lives for a living, let alone one of _Umbrella's _best mercs! What had happened to make Leon turn his back on his beliefs so completely?!**

**Leon turned his head, his bright blue gaze meeting hers, and her heartbeat skipped in response. Yet even as she watched, the warmth fled from those azure depths, leaving them cold and flat. He nodded at her and turned away, leaving a hollow feeling in her chest. Yeah, she wanted to know what had changed the man she loved to such an astonishing degree, and damn it, she was going to find out!**

**"I wouldn't."**

**She turned to find Kevin and Yoko standing just inside the doorway, the policeman's handsome features atypically somber. "Why not?" she asked stubbornly.**

**"Because he'll turn on you," came the unexpected response.**

**"Leon would never do anything to hurt me," she hissed, glancing around as she struggled to keep them from being overheard. "He's not like _Hunk."_**

**Kevin only sighed. "You don't realize how much damage you did when you took off, honey. Just leave him alone, before you do more."**

**"Kevin." Yoko placed a hand on his arm, a faint frown marring her features. "I saw how he turned on _you_ in the infirmary. He obviously has problems. You can't honestly tell me that you blame them on her?"**

**"Yeah, I can." He shook his head, his dark hair falling into his face. "You don't know what he's gone through, Yoko. What this one," he glared at Claire, "put him through. If it hadn't been for her taking off, he never would have ended up in Washington in the first place."**

**"What do you mean?" Claire asked with surprise. "What did I have to do with his going to work for the government? I wasn't even here."**

**"Exactly." Kevin glanced at the man in question, who was scowling as he searched the desk drawers, and said, "You left him alone, sweetheart. You _know _what he was like back then. He didn't stand a chance without you, and you fucking left him anyway."**

**"Now, wait just a minute--"**

**"Kevin!" **

**He looked up to find Leon watching him with furious blue eyes and winced inwardly. "Yeah, kid?"**

**"Is there a problem here?" Leon asked, his voice taking on an edge.**

**"Nope," he lied lightly, hoping like hell that the kid hadn't heard what he'd said. "I was just chatting with soldier-girl here."**

**The younger man's eyes narrowed with suspicion even as he grunted. "Well, there's nothing we can use in here, so let's on move on to the next room."**

**Kevin only nodded at the warning underlying his friend's words. He backed out of the room, managing a deceptively carefree smile for Chris, who's thunderous expression said the _he_ had heard everything. "Don't say anything to Leon about what you just heard," he murmured, keeping the smile in place. **

**"Why not?" Chris asked, his low tone laced with anger. **

**"Because he'd kill me, and frankly, I'm not ready to die," Kevin answered with a combination of exasperation and real fear. **

**Chris frowned darkly, and he only shook his head. He knew that Leon would never actually hurt him physically, but was fully capable of cutting him out of his life, just as he had with S.T.A.R.S. all those years ago. Yeah, they'd turned their backs on him first, but he _still_ hadn't forgiven them for it, and Kevin didn't want to lose the younger man's friendship. Leon could hold a grudge better--and longer--than any woman he'd ever known!**

**Ian stood to one side of the doorway, expressionless as he listened to the drama taking place around him. He was beginning to think that the thick, confidential file that the government had on Leon Kennedy didn't tell half of his story, leaving him to wonder just what it was that had Ryman so worried. The file hadn't included any personal information, save that he had adopted a child who had miraculously escaped Raccoon City with him. There had been no hint of either emotional or mental problems, just commendation after commendation for valor in the line of duty, culminating in a Purple Heart for his rescue of The President's daughter six months prior.**

**The man who had been proclaimed a hero throughout the United States swept past him, his expression set, and Ian merely sighed to himself. As much as he was coming to like Leon Kennedy, it was none of his business, and there were more important matters at hand. Like clearing this section of bioweapons before Sara and S.T.A.R.S. rejoined them. He would allow _nothing_ to harm his lady.**


End file.
